TNSTC bus conductor, driver fatally run over

TIRUPUR: A TNSTC bus conductor and driver were killed in a serial accident involving three vehicles on Salakadai bridge near Moolanur here on Sunday night.
The deceased were identified as driver Paulkannan,45, a native of Thekkampatti in Theni district, and conductor J Murugan, 51, of Ammapatti in Theni.
The mofussil bus, plying between Tirupur and Theni via Bodi route, broke down on Salakadai bridge at 11.15pm, a police officer said. "After shifting the passengers to another TNSTC bus, Paulkannan and Murugan were standing in front of the bus. The state highways department's recovery patrol vehicle reached the spot soon and parked behind the bus. Personnel in the recovery vehicle switched on the red flashing lights and placed traffic cones on the road to alert other motorists," he said.
"Around 11.45pm, a TNSTC mofussil bus heading towards Senkottai in Tenkasi from Sathyamangalam in Erode, rammed into the recovery vehicle from the rear, which hit the parked bus, fatally mowing down Paulkannan and Murugan," the officer added.
The Moolanur police removed the three vehicles from the road and registered a case against TNSTC bus driver K Ravikumar, 42, of Gobichettipalayam.
The bodies were handed over to family members afterpostmortem.