New Year revelry claims 3 lives

Coimbatore: The city’s hopes on having a fatal accident-free New Year celebration for the third consecutive year were crushed on Tuesday as three youngsters, who took to the streets on their bikes sans helmets, were killed in two separate incidents here on the early hours of the day.
Traffic investigation wing (west) of the city police said the accidents were reported on Thadagam Road and Sundakkamuthur bypass road.

In the first incident, two youths were killed and another one was critically injured after their bikes collided with each other on Thadagam Road. According to police, the accident took place when A Niyaz, 19, of Gandhipark, was returning home on bike with his friend M Dhanveer, of Velandipalayam, after having New Year celebrations at the latter’s house.

“At around 1.30 am, their bike collided with another two-wheeler that was rode by Manikandan, 21, of Kovilmedu. While Niyaz died of head injuries on the spot, Manikandan was declared brought dead at the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH). Dhanveer, however, escaped with fractures,” a police officer attached to the traffic investigation wing said.

According to the officer, Manikandan was returning home after paying visit to his grandmother Rajeswari at her house at Velandipalayam when the accident occurred. While Manikandan was employed with a tyre sales shop, Niyaz was a second-year diploma student of a private college at Othakkalmandapam. Dhanveer, the officer said, was working with an electronic shop.

Traffic investigation wing police have registered a case and handed over the bodies to the family members after the postmortem on Tuesday afternoon. Further investigation is on.

In the second incident, a 20-year-old construction worker was killed after he lost control over the bike and was thrown off the vehicle on Sundakkamthur Road. Police said the accident occurred while he was returning to his room after celebrating New Year along with his friend Mahendran, of Pudukkottai.

The deceased was identified as V Madavan, a native of Keezhaiyur in Nagapattinam. The body was sent to the CMCH for postmortem and it would be handed over to his family members after the autopsy on Wednesday afternoon, a police officer said.