Chennai: 3 dead, 5 hurt as auto overturns on GST Road

CHENNAI: A pastor was among the three people who died on Tuesday night when the share autorickshaw they were travelling in hit a median on GST Road near Tambaram and overturned. Five other passengers were left injured and the auto driver is on the run.
The auto was on its way to Perungalathur bus stop from Tambaram with eight passengers around 10.30pm when the driver, who was speeding on GST Road, had to make a sharp turn to avoid colliding with an incoming private bus.However, he lost control of the vehicle and hit the median.
This caused the auto to overturn. In the impact, Issac Raj, 51, a pastor from Cuddalore, Sundar Raj, 31, and Nagamuthu, 36, of Puducherry died on the spot after sustaining head injuries.
Police said passengers Ezhumalai, Anand Kumar, Rajinikanth two others were left injured and were taken to Chromepet government hospital. Anand Kumar and Rajinikanth were shifted to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.
Police said Nagamuthu had come to Chennai to invite a relative to his wedding next month. He had planned to reach Puducherry on Tuesday and was on his way to Perungalathur to board the bus.
The Chromepet traffic investigation police have registered a case of causing death due to negligence and a search is on to nab the driver. Witnesses said he too sustained injuries, but managed to flee from the scene. Police are also checking CCTV camera footage from the spot.
About two weeks ago, five youngsters who were speeding on GST Road died after colliding with a parked truck . Many commuters complained that vehicles are not being checked for going over the speed limit on this stretch and this has led to many accidents. Motorists also said share autos routinely flout safety norms by overcrowding their vehicles.