Deaths, deadly stunts, defiance mark New Year celebrations in Chennai

CHENNAI: Four people, including a teenager and two other youth, and a 55-year-old man who was returning home after attending church, died in separate accidents on East Coast Road, Old Mahabalipuram, and other areas in southern parts of Chennai.

Among the deceased was a hotel management student, Sarukesh (19), who died on the spot after his bike collided with the rear of a parked container lorry near Injambakkam on ECR. Another student, Sanjay (19), who was on the bike, sustained injuries and undergoing treatment at a private hospital.

In another incident, a young man from North India died in a bike accident after skidding and falling on OMR in Siruseri. The police said the accident was caused by speeding. A youth from Nookampalayam died after losing control of his bike, which fell into a pit near Sithalapakkam.

Meanwhile, a 55-year-old man returning home from church was hit by an unidentified vehicle on Velachery road and died on the spot.

As decided during a meeting chaired by Greater Chennai Police Commissioner A Arun on Saturday, the city police had put in place several restrictions to ensure that the New Year celebrations were incident-free.

However, that did not stop many, especially youngsters, from disregarding these instructions that were issued in the interest of their safety. For instance, the city police had prohibited entry to Marina beach and its immediate vicinity to stop people from entering the sea and also to prevent bike racing and performing stunts on the service road near the beach.

It only prompted several youngsters to move to other parts of Chennai with their bikes. The city police seized as many as 242 two-wheelers involved in illegal bike racing and for performing dangerous stunts.

Shortly into the New Year, youngsters started engaging in stunts on two-wheelers along ECR. They blasted film songs through Bluetooth speakers, rode at extreme speeds, and performed wheeling. Before the police could apprehend them, the youth escaped by fleeing the spot.

Despite the ban, many ventured into the sea just outside the city limits, ignoring the restrictions.

Stepping up the preventive measures, more than 30 flying squads were deployed on the Chennai-Tiruchy National Highway in areas such as Pallavaram, Tambaram, Vandalur, Maraimalai Nagar, and Guduvanchery.

The teams stopped vehicles and checked the drivers for drunk driving. Those found intoxicated were booked, while the drivers and passengers who failed to wear helmets/seatbelts were let off with strict warnings.

Meanwhile, there was a commotion outside a theatre on ECR after the police stopped it from holding New Year celebrations. Even though the officials explained that the theatre management failed to obtain permission to hold the event, more than 500 people who had bought tickets to the event staged a road block in protest. But the police pacified them with the assurance that steps would be taken to ensure that they got back their ticket money.