Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai   

2 killed as milk van rams car at Meenambakkam

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI MAY 23. A "carelessly-driven" milk van snuffed out the life of a 50-year-old woman, whose daughter was to get married on Sunday. Ramaneshwari, a resident of Thandavarayan Street in Purasawakkam, was returning home from Chromepet in a car along with her son and other relatives after distributing invitations for her daughter, Vadivambikai's wedding.

At Meenambakkam on the GST Road, a recklessly-driven milk van on its way to Tambaram, lost control and dashed against the centre median. The van mounted the median, crossed to the other side and rammed the oncoming car in which Ramaneshwari was travelling. Ramaneshwari was seriously injured and died on way to a hospital. Her son, Srinivasan, and two other occupants in the car, Muthukumar and Karunaleeswaran, were injured and admitted to the MIOT Hospital. An occupant of the milk van, Perumal, was also killed on the spot.

Ramaneshwari's body was removed to the Chromepet Government Hospital. Even this morning the relatives did not have a clear idea on where the body was kept. Her relatives turned up at the Meenambakkam police station in large numbers. They later returned home with the body of Ramaneshwari.

Overspeeding

The accident that took place at 11.15 p.m., brings into focus, the hazards of driving on the GST Road, especially on the stretch between Kathipara and Tambaram during evening and late in the night. More than 150 people die every year in accidents on this stretch. People who travel on this road everyday are always in a perpetual state of fear due to reckless driving and overspeeding indulged in mostly by mini-lorries, sand and tipper lorries, omni buses and even State government and MTC buses.

In the wake of an accident involving a container lorry on Anna Salai, in which a policeman lost his life, there were brief checks on the papers carried by lorry drivers, but the drive lost steam soon thereafter. There is also little check on the drivers on GST Road on the city periphery, as it does not form part of the city police. It may be recalled that many persons, including three police personnel, lost their lives on this road, near the Pallavaram police station, in the last couple of years, due to accidents involving heavy vehicles, at night.

Apart from the problems caused by poor lighting, several other factors also make travelling on the GST Road, highly risky. However, in a recent initiative, steps have been taken to widen the centre median and plans are on to plant saplings in the centre. This, officials hope would contribute to a decline in road accidents.

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