The accident that claimed the lives of six people at Sundarapuram on Wednesday shattered the dreams of six families. The victims, belonging to middle class and economically weak sections of society, were waiting near the Iyer Hospital bus stop when death came calling in the form of a speeding vehicle.
One of the victims, N. Subashini, 19, daughter of an electrician from Kallukuzhi Street near Kurichi, was studying second-year B.Sc. in Information Technology at PSGR Krishnammal College for Women, Peelamedu.
“Though the classes start after 12 p.m., she used to come to the college early. She used to take a bus that reached Sundarapuram at 10.30 a.m. as it was a direct bus to the college. We had celebrated her birthday last week,” said her friend, in front of the mortuary at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH). “Subashini wanted to do her M.Sc. IT,” recollected another friend.
C. Amsaveni, 32, of Podanur Road, had been selling flowers at the accident spot in Sundarapuram for the past seven years.
“[My] sister used to sell flowers at that place in the morning and evening. The accident took place minutes before she was about to wind up the morning sale. Her husband, who had come to pick her up, was also at the place [of the accident], but was spared as he had just left to deliver flowers to a regular buyer,” said Amsaveni's brother.
Amsaveni's husband Chandrasekaran, who works at a toll plaza, was inconsolable. The couple has a son named Hareesh, a class VIII student.
The police said that A. Srirangadas, 69, and N. Kuppathal, 74, were waiting for a bus after purchasing their ration provisions. V. Narayanan, 70, originally hailing from Kerala, was a postal service employee.
A few had a lucky escape. Silambarasan of Sundarapuram, whose stationary autorickshaw was crushed in the accident, was sitting in the vehicle chatting with a friend a few minutes before the incident. “After receiving a call from my wife, I got out of the vehicle and walked a few metres. I heard a loud noise and saw the autorickshaw crushed. The call saved me from the accident,” he said.
