Man Killed in Chennai After Giant Signboard Falls on His Bike

The signboard fell on the man’s two-wheeler, a mini-truck, and an auto-rickshaw.

The signboard, which was approximately 30 feet high and gives directions to commuters from Tambaram, fell on the man’s two-wheeler, a mini-truck, and an auto-rickshaw.

(Photo: The News Minute)

A two-wheeler rider who sustained severe head injuries after a giant signboard fell on his vehicle in Chennai’s Alandur succumbed to his injuries on Monday, 8 August.

The man was among two persons who were injured when a bus rammed into the base of the signboard’s pillar on GST Road, and the giant metal board fell on the man’s two-wheeler on Sunday, 7 August.

The signboard, which was approximately 30 feet high and gives directions to commuters from Tambaram, fell on the man’s two-wheeler, a mini-truck, and an auto-rickshaw.

The windscreen of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) bus was damaged completely but no injuries were reported from the passengers.

However, in the accident, three people were injured. Two of them – Shanumugasundaram, the two-wheeler rider who hailed from Pudukottai, and Stephen from Pallavaram – were rushed to the Government Royapettah Hospital where they received treatment for their injuries.

However, Shanmugasundaram passed away on Monday morning.

How the Accident Happened

On Sunday, the MTC bus (Route No 70V) was going from Perungulathur to Koyambedu, near the Alandur metro.

The bus driver, who lost control of the vehicle, rammed it into the huge signboard pillar that was put up by the State Highways Department.

The bus driver Raghunath and conductor Chinnaiah fled the spot, but two hours later surrendered at the St Thomas Mount Traffic Investigation Wing office. Now, police have registered a case and investigations are going on.

Visuals from the site of Sunday’s accident show the two-wheeler completely crushed under the heavy steel pillar.

The pillar completely blocked the road for a while before it was cleared by St Thomas Mount Traffic Investigation Wing and traffic police with a crane. Visuals also showed that the signboard itself had crashed down onto the opposite side of the road.

The traffic police personnel who arrived at the spot have launched an investigation to ascertain the circumstances leading to the accident. Eyewitnesses told police that the bus was speeding and the accident occurred when the driver was trying to manoeuver a curve.

(Published in arrangement with The News Minute.)