Senior citizen dies after SUV driven by cop hits him

A 67-year-old man sitting in front of his house died after he was hit by an SUV driven by a police constable, at Virugambakkam on Sunday afternoon.

The victim was identified as Shankar, Koil Street. Police said constable Ranjith Kumar, 32, a resident of Alwarthirunagar, was driving his friend’s car. He had been arrested for causing death due to negligent driving. Ranjith Kumar belonged to the crime wing from JJ Nagar police station and is now posted as the gunman of the Traffic, joint commissioner, north. He was off-duty on Sunday. He was on the way with his friend Manikandan to meet another friend, police said.

Shankar, who fell on the ground after being hit by the vehicle, died on the spot after sustaining severe head injuries. Police claimed that Ranjith Kumar swerved the vehicle to avoid hitting the children, who ran across the road, holding prasadam in their hands.

The residents who heard the loud thud gathered at the spot and surrounded the SUV thus stopping him from proceeding further. They tried to bash him up when he told them that he was a policeman. The residents believed the constable was under the influence of alcohol, but investigators claimed that he was not drunk.