Truck door falls off, hits auto; two killed

Chennai: A man and his two-and-a-half-year-old grandson were killed on Tuesday night after a 15-foot side door from a speeding mini truck detached from the vehicle and fell onto the auto-rickshaw they were travelling in, on Manimangalam main road. Three others, including the child's parents and the auto driver, sustained grievous injuries.

Police identified the deceased as Kanniyappan (55), a resident of Manimangalam near Padappai, and his two-and-a-half-year-old grandson, Melvin. They were travelling with the boy's parents to a relative's house in Mudichur. When the auto was proceeding along the main road, a brick-laden mini goods lorry travelling at high speed crossed the vehicle. The 15-foot-long side door of the mini lorry suddenly fell directly onto the moving auto-rickshaw. The heavy metal door crushed the vehicle. Kanniyappan and Melvin died on the spot. The auto driver, Loganathan (35), along with Kanniyappan's son and daughter-in-law, sustained grievous injuries.


Guduvanchery traffic investigation wing rescued the injured from the mangled vehicle and admitted them to the Tambaram govt hospital for treatment. The bodies of the deceased were also sent to the same hospital for post-mortem. Meanwhile, the mini lorry driver abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene. Enquiries showed negligence on the part of the lorry driver, police said.

The side door of the brick-carrying mini lorry was not fastened with iron clamps at all four corners, they said. Police suspect the door detached from the vehicle due to vibrations when the driver was driving at a high speed. Residents staged a road blockade demanding the immediate arrest of the lorry driver. Police pacified the protesters, assuring them the lorry was seized and that efforts were underway to arrest the driver. Following this assurance, the protesters dispersed.