Sand-laden lorry kills girl, residents go on a rampage

CHENNAI: A 19-year-old college student was killed in a road accident after a lorry carrying sand knocked her down near Urapakkam at Guduvanchery on Monday. Police said the lorry was carrying sand for a Public Works Department project. Angered residents damaged at least seven lorries and staged protests demanding action against the lorry driver.

R Saranya (19), a resident of Athanur, was second year BA student at a private college in Guindy. She would cycle to the Urapakkam railway station and take a train to Guindy to get to college every day.  
“On Monday morning, Saranya was cycling to the Urapakkam railway station. Around 7.30am, when she was near Anna Nagar in Mannivakkam, a truck carrying sand knocked her down. The truck was taking a sharp turn towards the Trichy-Chennai highway when it ran over her and she died on the spot,” said an investigation officer.

The lorry was reportedly taking the sand for restoration work being carried out by the PWD to lay pathways around the Mannivakkam lake. Angered residents pelted stones at the lorry that killed Saranya and thrashed the driver. Meanwhile, a group of residents broke the windshields of at least seven trucks parked near the lake.

The lorry driver V Sathish Kumar (24) from Tambaram was arrested by Otteri police on charges of death caused due to negligent driving and remanded under judicial custody. Saranya’s body was sent to Chromepet government hospital for autopsy. Saranya’s father Ramesh works at a private firm and mother Kanmani is a teacher. She had a younger sister.