Chennai: Rash driver causes pile-up, 15 injured

Chennai: At least 15 persons were injured in a pile-up involving eight vehicles at Madurantakam near Chengalpet on the Trichy-Chennai highway in the early hours of Monday. Police sources said that a speeding car turned turtle following which the vehicles collided with each other.

According to sources, on Monday morning at around 3, a car from Tindivanam heading towards Chennai airport turned turtle after it lost balance. Following this three other cars,  two private omnibuses and one van rammed the preceding vehicle one after another, and at last, a lorry plying from Tiruchy-Chennai hit at all the vehicles, said a police officer.

Fifteen persons including the lorry driver suffered minor injuries. Based on information from passersby and eyewitnesses, police personnel from Madurantakam, Melmaruvathur and Acharapakkam arrived at the spot and engaged in the rescue work. The injured were sent to the Madurantakam government hospital. Their condition is said to be stable.

A traffic jam was also reported due to the road accident on Tiruchy-Chennai national highway. Vehicles on the highway were diverted to Chennai -Trichy route. Earthmovers and JCBs were involved in the rescue work for more than two hours. Vehicular traffic was disrupted till 6 am as police and the highway patrolling personnel tried to clear the road towards Chennai. Acharapakkam police registered a case and further investigations are on.