Drunk driver kills traffic cop in Miyapur
The incident occurred near Metro Pillar No. 600 around 10.25 pm while the traffic team was wrapping up duty. The lorry, driven by 39-year-old Kohir Srinivas, came from Kukatpally towards Miyapur X Roads and crashed into the kiosk at a restricted U-turn.
Hyderabad: A home guard died and two traffic constables were injured after a drunk lorry driver rammed the vehicle into a traffic kiosk in Miyapur on Sunday night. The Miyapur police took the driver into custody for rash and negligent driving.
The deceased was identified as N. Simhachalam, 42, a home guard and resident of KBR Colony, Bolaram. The incident occurred near Metro Pillar No. 600 around 10.25 pm while the traffic team was wrapping up duty. The lorry, driven by 39-year-old Kohir Srinivas, came from Kukatpally towards Miyapur X Roads and crashed into the kiosk at a restricted U-turn. A breathalyser test showed 389 micrograms of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, against the ceiling of 30.
Constable Sabavath Vikinder, 36, from Miyapur traffic police, filed the complaint. He stated that he was on duty at the spot with constable Rajavardhan, 40, and home guard Simhachalam. “We were near the U-turn when the lorry came at high speed, hit the kiosk and toppled it onto us,” he wrote in the complaint.
Simhachalam suffered severe head injuries and died on the spot. Vikinder suffered injuries to his elbows and knees while Rajavardhan suffered a shoulder injury. “The driver was clearly drunk. We caught him immediately and handed him over to the law and order police,” said a traffic official talking to Deccan Chronicle.
The constable added that a local resident, Mohammed Ashraf, helped them get to a private hospital in an autorickshaw. They were later moved to another private hospital in Gachibowli. “Doctors checked Simhachalam and declared him dead,” he said.
The lorry driver has been booked and further investigation is underway. Police noted that CCTV cameras in the area were not functional at the time of the incident. Local vendors had closed their shops by 9 pm and were not present during the crash.
Post-mortem was conducted at Gandhi mortuary, after which the body was transported to Simhachalam’s native village, Chiguruvalasa in Srikakulam district, for final rites. He is survived by his wife Nallana Kumari, 30, a homemaker, and daughters N. Likhitha, 12, and N. Sony, 9, who study at a school in Bolaram.
