VILLUPURAM: Five persons died and many others suffered injuries in three separate accidents near Ulundurpet toll gate on the National Highway in the wee hours of Saturday.
In one of the incidents, an advocate in the Madras High Court and his wife died after their car collided head on with an Erode-bound mini lorry at R R Kuppam. Advocate Yogainder (59) and his wife Selvarani (47), residing at Nandanam in Chennai, were returning home from Salem. Mini lorry driver Karthikeyan (28) of Chennai sustained grievous injuries.
In another case, an NLC contract worker died after the car in which he was travelling rear-ended a sand- laden lorry. Sources said five persons, including NLC worker Senthil, his wife and two children and his friend and contract worker at an NLC society Vadivel (48), all natives of Azis Nagar in Ulundurpet, were returning to Neyveli in a car after visiting a temple in Villupuram.
While they were nearing Ulundurpet toll gate, the lorry plying ahead of them suddenly stopped. Senthil’s car and an SETC bus heading towards Chennai rear-ended the lorry. Vadivel sustained severe head injuries and died on the spot. Senthil, his family members and all the bus passengers escaped with minor injuries.
In a separate incident, a car driver died after his vehicle collided head on with a cargo van. Sources said Paneerselvam (42) of Pulianthope in Chennai was returning home after a trip, when he accidentally veered his car into the opposite lane and it collided head on with a cargo van. He died on the spot.
In the third accident, another car driver was killed after his vehicle rear-ended an omni bus. Sources said Velu (50) of Adambakkam was returning to Chennai after a trip to Salem.