COIMBATORE: A 50-year-old autorickshaw driver was killed after the driver of a TNSTC bus suffered a fatal heart attack at the wheel and rammed into several vehicles near the Ukkadam-Athupalam overbridge on Wednesday. Two others were also injured and two bikes were damaged in the incident.
The deceased bus driver was identified as T Martin (54), a resident of Singanallur in Coimbatore, while the autorickshaw driver was Noor Mohammed of Kuniyamuthur.
Martin was the driver of bus 66A, plying between Palathurai near Madukkarai and Ukkadam. On Wednesday morning, he operated the bus from Palathurai with more than 50 passengers on board. After crossing Kuniyamuthur, the bus was approaching the Ukkadam-Athupalam overbridge when Martin suffered a heart attack and collapsed in his seat.
The bus veered and struck two two-wheelers, a person standing by the roadside, and an autorickshaw. The bus then ran over the autorickshaw driver, resulting in his death. While passengers panicked and screamed, one passenger quickly applied the brakes and brought the vehicle to a halt.
Later, passengers alighted from the bus and Martin was found dead. Traffic Investigation Wing (West) police reached the spot and began the investigation.
S Abbas (46) of Kalavai, who was riding a two-wheeler, and a woman passenger in the autorickshaw received minor injuries. Two two-wheelers and an autorickshaw were damaged in the incident.
The bodies of Noor Mohammed and Martin were recovered by police and sent to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for postmortem examination.