CHENNAI: Three undergrad students of SRM University in Chennai were killed in a high-speed crash of their rented car early this morning.
Police say there were six students, five boys and one girl, in the car, including the three deceased. The students who died in the crash have been identified as
* Neil Quindal, 20, native of Himachal Pradesh, studying II year, BE (Computer Science)
* Harsh Singh, 20, native of Bihar, studying I year, BE (Information Technology)
* Samrat Singh, 20, native of Delhi, studying BE (Computer Science)
Those injured in the accident have been named as
* Sivanji, 20, native of from Bengaluru, studying BBA
* Sidharth Singh, 20, studying BE (Computer Science)
* Nillu Singh, 20, native of Bihar, studying in first year BE (Biotech)
They were traveling in a Toyota Etios -- with Sidharth Singh driving it -- towards SRM University from Chengalpet.
Eyewitnesses said the car was being driven at a speed exceeding 100 kmph when it hit the road median at Maramalai Nagar municipal office. The high-speed impact flung the car into the air and smashed it against a tree on the roadside.
Two of the victims, including Harsh Singh, died on the spot.
The Maramalai Nagar police shifted the injured to the nearby SRM Hospital. One of them passed away even as he was being taken to hospital.
Police named the girl in the car as Sivanji from Bengaluru. The three students who died were each aged 19.
The three injured students, who are said to be out of danger, are being treated in a hospital belonging to the SRM University at Kattankulathur, close to the university campus.
According to police sources, the students had gone to Pondicherry yesterday to celebrate Nillu's birthday yesterday, (Oct. 14), and drove back late in the night. Police said the car was rented by Nillu from an online car rental.
The students live in a rented apartment at Maraimalai Nagar on the outskirts of Chennai.
Early this morning, the six students went to a restaurant near Mahindra Tech Park, which houses a large number of IT companies. Police said the students were returning to their apartment when the accident took place at around 6.30 am.
Police are yet to comment if the students were drunk at the time of the accident. But they said the car was being driven at a high speed.
The bodies of the three students were moved to Chengalpattu government hospital.