Chennai: A traffic Sub-Inspector attached to the St. Thomas mount traffic investigation wing, who was riding a two-wheeler, was fatally knocked down by a concrete mixer truck on the Kathipara flyover on Thursday morning. The incident was recorded by a CCTV camera installed on the flyover. The footage showed the traffic cop was not wearing a helmet while riding the two-wheeler.
The deceased has been identified as Nataraj (56) of Durga Nagar in Tambaram Sanatorium. Police sources said that on Thursday morning he was posted at Nandambakkam on Governor's security duty and the incident happened when he was heading home after duty at around 11.30 am.
While on the Kathipara Flyover he tried to overtake the mixer truck. Nataraj, instead of taking a left turn, took to the extreme right lane on which the concrete mixer truck was moving. The truck knocked down Nataraj. Police sources said he sustained a grievous injury on his head and died on the spot.
Passersby, who witnessed the accident, informed the police. The St.Thomas Mount traffic investigation police who rushed to the spot moved the body to the Chrompet government hospital for post-mortem. They registered a case and arrested the ready-mix lorry driver Sathish (35) of Kumbakonam.
Meanwhile, the police released the CCTV footage that was recovered from the flyover, which showed that Nataraj did not wear a helmet while riding the two-wheeler though he had a helmet with him on the bike. He was wearing just a black cap when he was knocked down by the truck.
The mishap comes a week after DGP JK Tripathy directed that all police personnel, whether in uniform or plainclothes, should compulsorily wear a helmet while riding or travelling pillion on two-wheelers.
Quoting the Madras High Court order dated June 28, the DGP has ordered all city police Commissioners and Superintendents of Police in districts to ensure that all personnel who are riding two-wheelers compulsorily wear headgear and follow traffic rules. The city police Commissioner AK Viswanathan had issued a similar order, asking the traffic police to book cases against personnel found violating the helmet rule.
