Car rams parked autorickshaws, 1 killed

Five others hurt; college student behind the wheel was found to be drunk and has been detained along with 4 of his friends

The car that hit the autorickshaws in Cathedral Road, Chennai on Sunday.

A 40-year-old autorickshaw driver died when a speeding sedan driven by an inebriated college student, Naveeth Ahmed, crashed into five autorickshaws parked on Cathedral Road early on Sunday. Four of Naveeth’s friends, also college students, were in the car and have been booked for abetting the crime.

The incident took place around 1.45 a.m. on a pavement outside a jewellery shop. The victim, Rajesh, was sleeping in one of the autorickshaws, police said. A few of the autos toppled in the impact.

Drunk driving

The car came to a halt after ramming a Tangedco junction box. A few passers-by and autorickshaw drivers informed the police control room immediately. Police personnel arrived at the scene and detained Naveeth and his friends, Harikrishnan, 21, Kirankumar, 19, Vishal Rajkumar, 19, and Vinoth, 20. “Naveeth and Harikrishnan were found to be drunk,” said a police officer.

During interrogation, it was found that the five had booked a room at a hotel in MRC Nagar. “After drinking, the five had gone to Anna Salai for dinner and were returning to their hotel via Cathedral Road. Policemen on duty had noticed the car due to the loud honking,” the police officer said.

Naveeth is suspected to have lost control and hit the autorickshaws. Two Tangedco junctions boxes were damaged. This is the second time such an accident has occurred at the spot.

The spot on Cathedral Road where the accident took place on Sunday.

 

“Five autorickshaw drivers were injured. While Naveeth will be booked under Section 304 (II) (culpable homicide not amount to murder) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the Indian Penal Code and drink driving, the others will be booked under relevant Sections for abetting the crime,” said the police officer.

“Around 1.45 a.m, I heard a huge sound and when I came out, I realised it was an accident. The policemen had nabbed the youngsters and had surrounded them. Some of them were inspecting the autorickshaws and when they lifted one, a body tumbled out,” said a watchman, who requested anonymity.

C. Shankar, an autorickshaw driver, who claimed to have witnessed the accident, said that the car was moving on the wrong side of the road. “In 2016, an autorickshaw driver was killed and eight others were injured after a high-end car rammed vehicles parked on Cathedral Road,” he recalled.

The five suspects have been sent to judicial custody till November 24.