CHENNAI: Five youngsters died during the wee hours of Sunday after their multi-utility vehicle lost control, brushed past a heavy vehicle, and collided with a trailer lorry parked on the roadside in Perungalathur.
The deceased persons are Aravind Shankar (21) of K K Nagar, Naveen (21) and Raja Harish (21) of Mettur in Salem district, Rahul (20) of Pudukottai, and Ajay (21) of Tiruchy. Chromepet traffic investigation police told The New Indian Express that the five died on the spot and their bodies were damaged severely in the mishap. The premium-segment vehicle was reduced to rubble, indicating the high speed at which the vehicle was running, the police said.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the incident happened between 1.30 am and 2.20 am near a private Information Technology company on GST Road in Perungalathur. CCTV visuals released by the police showed the MUV brushing past a heavy vehicle and ramming a trailer lorry laden with iron rods. On information, the Fire and Rescue Services personnel were pressed into action to retrieve the mangled remains of the bodies. All of them were shifted to Government Chromepet Hospital for post-mortem examination.
Except Naveen, the other four were fresh engineering graduates from a private college in Thoraipakkam. Police sources said that the four of them had campus interviews scheduled on Monday. When asked if Naveen, who was behind the wheel, had consumed alcohol, the traffic investigation police said a conclusion can be arrived at only after the arrival of autopsy reports. Chromepet traffic investigation police have registered a case and are investigating the matter.