The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Six injured as MTC bus hits nine vehicles

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 08, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Six injured as MTC bus hits nine vehicles

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, JUNE 7. Six persons including a woman were injured and nine vehicles damaged when a Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) bus driver lost control of the vehicle while climbing a bridge on McNichols Road at Chetput on Monday.

Five of the injured were admitted to the Kilpauk Medical College hospital, while the woman was taken to the Government General Hospital.

According to police, around 9.50 a.m. the driver of a 47-A route number bus, proceeding to Besant Nagar from ICF, lost control when he accelerated to climb McNichols bridge. The bus came to a halt after ramming the median and hitting nine vehicles waiting for the signal at the bridge. The damaged vehicles included five motorcycles, an autorickshaw, two vans and a car.

It was a miraculous escape for T.R.V. Raghavan and his wife Meera who were on their way to office when the accident occurred. The couple was waiting at the junction on their two-wheeler for the signal when the bus climbed over the median trapping them under it. "I don't know what hit me. All I could remember was the rumbling sound of engine over my head," recalls Raghavan, who was rescued by the public with his hands and face darkened by vehicular emissions. He was admitted to the KMCH with multiple injuries, while his wife was sent to the Government Hospital for a head scan. Doctors said she was out of danger.

Subbulakshmi, medical officer, casualty wing, Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, said: "The victims were all bleeding and were in a state of shock. We had to revive them by stabilising their pulse and respiration."

The Kilpauk Traffic Police apprehended the driver K. Sathyamoorthy (39) and filed cases against him under sections 279 (rash driving), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life of personal safety) of the Indian Penal Code.

Driver's negligence

The MTC authorities said the driver in question had completed 14 years of service. The bus (fleet number ADH 229) was about five years old. They pointed out that at every MTC depot, while leaving the vehicle for the night, the driver must record the condition of the vehicle in a log sheet. Similarly, he must do a pre-trip check before taking it out the next morning. A senior MTC official said the bus involved in today's accident was in good condition. It was the speeding that resulted in the accident, he said.

As a first step, the driver will be placed under suspension. After conducting an enquiry, further action would be taken against him, said the MTC official.

M. Ravi, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic (North), said the department would take up the issue with the MTC. "We don't want the Corporation's buses to become killers. We are sending a strongly-worded letter to the Managing Director of the Corporation, urging them to take appropriate action against rash and negligent driving."

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