Chennai:
Three members of a family, including a one-year-old child, were killed in a tragic road accident on GST Road near Singaperumal Koil in Chennai on Tuesday.
The incident occurred when a speeding tipper lorry rammed into their stationary car, crushing it between two heavy vehicles.
According to police reports, the victims were returning to Madurai after attending a family function in Chennai. The car had reportedly stopped at a traffic signal when the accident took place. A tipper lorry travelling at high speed from Chennai towards Chengalpattu collided with the rear of their vehicle, pushing it into a container lorry in front.
The family have been identified as Ayyanar (65), driver Saravanan (35), and Sai Velan (1).
Four other family members sustained serious injuries and are currently undergoing treatment at Chengalpattu Government Medical College Hospital.
They have been identified as Karthik (35), his wife Nandhini (30), their son Ilamathi (7), and Nandhini’s mother Deva Poonjari (60). Ayyanar was the father of Nandhini, while Sai Velan was her infant son.
Eyewitnesses and other motorists rushed to help the victims before emergency services arrived. However, Ayyanar and Saravanan died on the spot. Despite efforts by doctors, the one-year-old child, Sai Velan, later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
The remaining family members are said to be in critical condition.
The Guduvancherry Traffic Investigation Police have registered a case, and a thorough investigation is underway.
The accident led to a severe traffic jam on the Chennai-Tiruchy National Highway, causing delays for more than two hours.
Despite such tragic incidents, Tamil Nadu has reported a noticeable decline in fatal road accidents in recent years. In 2024, the number of road accident deaths fell by 273 compared to the previous year. Authorities attribute this reduction to a series of proactive safety measures, including the identification and correction of Black Spots (accident-prone areas), stricter enforcement of traffic regulations, and intensified action against drunken driving.
Tamil Nadu Police Chief Sankar Jiwal recently highlighted the department’s efforts in enhancing road safety, noting that these achievements come despite the growing number of vehicles, increasing road length, and population.
In 2023, the state recorded 17,526 fatal road accidents that claimed 18,347 lives. In 2024, those figures dropped to 17,282 accidents and 18,074 deaths. An internal study revealed that driver error was responsible for 16,800 of the 2023 accidents. To tackle this, police utilised the Highway Patrol Mobile Application for public awareness and real-time enforcement.
A comprehensive field survey identified 6,165 Black Spots, with safety measures implemented in 3,165 of those locations in coordination with the State Highways Department.
Most cities and districts across the state have since reported a downward trend in road accident cases. Additionally, highway patrol vehicles played a pivotal role in saving lives by rescuing 12,629 critically injured victims and ensuring their transport to hospitals within the vital Golden Hour. Apart from law enforcement, thousands of public awareness programmes have been held to educate citizens on responsible and safe driving practices.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
