Four people crushed to death in van-bus collision

Chennai, July 24: Four people were crushed to death and a woman sustained injuries in a bizarre accident involving a Tata Sumo van and a Tamil Nadu State Express Transport Corporation bus near Madurantakam in neighbouring Kancheepuram district, about 75 km from here, today.

Police said all the victims were travelling in the van, when the accident occurred.

The van was reduced to a heap of metal. The front portion of the bus, coming from Coimbatore to Chennai, was completely damaged while bus passengers and the driver escaped unhurt, the conductor sustained a minor bleeding injury in his knee.

The van, after picking up Subramani (40) from Chennai airport, who arrived here from Gulf this morning to meet his family, was on its way to Sankarapuram village in Villupuram district on the one side of the Chennai-Trichy National Highway.

The van driver dozed off while driving at high speed and lost control. It was a typical cinema-style accident, as the van climbed over the road median, hit the high mast lamp post erected on the median, and crashed into the bus, coming on the other side of the Highway, airborne.

The bus driver, who was taken aback by suddenly seeing a van flying, tried to swerve to the left, but could not prevent the collision. The van rammed into the bus, hit the iron girders on the far side, made a somersault before it crashed into the median. The deceased were identified as Subramaniam, his relative Senthil (25), who along with two others came to receive him at the airport and van driver Batsha (25).

The identity of the fourth person was yet to be known.

The injured woman was admitted to the Chengalpattu Government Hospital.

Eyewitnesses said, had the van avoided hitting the bus, it would have plunged into the 40 ft deep dry lake bed after crashing through the iron girders.

The impact of the collision was such that both the covers of the lamp were precariously hanging from the nearly 100 ft high lamp post.

On information, senior police officials rushed to the spot.

A case has been registered by the Madurantakam police and investigation is underway.

The driver of the bus and conductor, who were in a state of shock, said the passengers of the bus were transported to Chennai in other buses.

UNI