An ambulance, a vehicle that usually saves lives, turned out to be the reason for causing the death of a patient in Tamil Nadu during the wee hours of Friday. In an unfortunate incident, the state-run ambulance carrying an elderly patient to the hospital collided with the rear of a private bus on the highway, leading to the deaths of the patient and the driver. Two others who were travelling in the vehicle have sustained severe injuries.
Kaniammal (67), who had complained of chest pain was being carried to the hospital in a state-run ambulance, driven by Jayakumar (38). Kaniammal’s daughter Saraswathi, who had called for the ambulance, and technician Dinakaran were also travelling in the vehicle.
The accident occurred on the Kancheepuram-Chengalpattu Road near Athur early on Friday. Speaking to TNM, an official from the Chengalpattu Taluk station says, “If there’s an ambulance on the road, the other vehicles should be mindful of its speed and urgency. The private bus driver seems to have suddenly veered to a stop on the side of the road to de-board some passengers without proper use of indicators. Given the time of the incident (1.40 am), visibility too was difficult and this has caused the accident.”
The impact of the collision led to Kanniammal and Jayakumar dying on the spot. The front portion of the ambulance was found to be fully damaged by the impact of the collision. The victims’ bodies were sent for post-mortem before being handed over to the relatives on Friday. Reports state that Saraswathi and Dinakaran are currently undergoing treatment at the Rajaji Government Hospital. Saraswathi’s condition is critical.
The police are currently on the look-out for the bus driver who has absconded. An FIR has been filed under IPC section 304 for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Source: The News Minute