Chennai: Techie falls after hitting pothole, run over by truck
What's the story
A 22-year-old software engineer was reportedly mowed down by a truck near Maduravoyal in Chennai on Tuesday at 7:20 am. The deceased, Shobana, was on her way to drop her brother to school when the two-wheeler hit a pothole and they fell, following which a truck ran her over, killing her on the spot. The brother, meanwhile, suffered injuries and is undergoing treatment.
Twitter Post
Citizens blame poor road condition
So many lives lost due to potholes.Its high time that like NH, road maintenance department should also be created for local roads.
— GaryGM (@mgary59) January 4, 2023
Zoho CEO
Employer blames bad roads, police say none had helmets on
Blaming Chennai's bad roads for the accidental death, Zoho Corporation CEO Sridhar Vembu tweeted that it was a tragic loss to her family and the company. The police said both siblings were not wearing helmets. The truck driver, B Mohan, has been arrested and charged with rash driving and causing death by negligence. The potholes were temporarily filled after the accident.
Twitter Post
Tragic loss to her family, company: Zoho CEO
One of our engineers, Ms. Shobana died tragically when her scooter skidded in the heavily potholed roads near Maduravoyal in Chennai. She was taking her younger brother to school.
— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) January 3, 2023
Our bad roads have caused a
tragic loss to her family and Zoho. https://t.co/8XAycPhIsk pic.twitter.com/JlX5roD6DS
Treatment
Brother of deceased undergoing treatment
Shobana's brother Harish, a Class 12 student, sustained injuries and is being treated at a private hospital. The Poonamallee Traffic Investigation Wing (TIW) rushed to the spot after the accident and sent the body to a government hospital for autopsy. Notably, a recent report by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways shows that Tamil Nadu sees the country's highest number of accidents.
NHAI
NHAI covered drains for only 11 out of 32 km
The siblings were riding on the service road of the Tambaram-Maduravoyal bypass road, which is 32 km long. Only 11 km of drains is reported to have been covered as the National Highway Authority of India's (NHAI) Chennai Regional Office is yet to receive approval from Delhi headquarters to cover the entire stretch. This road, considered among the deadliest, has recorded 423 road accidents.