KRISHNAGIRI: A Village Administrative Officer (VAO) and his assistant escaped death by a whisker when a granite lorry driver attempted to mow them down near Bargur, police said.
According to Kandikuppam police, Thangaraj, 30, the Village Administrative Officer of Boganapalli and his office assistant Periyasamy were conducting an inspection at Achamangalam on Friday night when the incident took place.
The officials, in a bid to crackdown on smuggling, were reportedly checking vehicles illegally ferrying sand and granite.
Though the driver of the lorry tried to run over the officials, both the officials had a narrow escape. The driver later abandoned the vehicle and fled.
Thangaraj informed police and they seized the lorry loaded with granite worth Rs 50,000.
Police are on the lookout for lorry driver Muniyappan and his associate Senthil Kumar.