Search on for five after woman dies in hitandrun

The police are on the lookout for five persons, suspected to be college students, after the car they were travelling in hit a 51yearold woman near Mathvarayapuram here on Tuesday.

The woman, R. Palaniammal from Nallurvayal at Mathvarayapuram, died on the spot.

As per the First Information Report (FIR), Palaniammal was hit by a speeding sedan bearing registration number TN 37 BZ 8888, when she was walking along the road to a grocery store near her residence around 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday. The car came from Chadivayal side and headed to the east after hitting the woman.

The FIR said that the woman was thrown off for several metres and died on the spot owing to severe injuries. The driver of the car sped away with four others who were with him.

During subsequent searches by local residents and examination of surveillance camera visuals from the locality, it was found out that the car came from a lane adjacent to a restaurant near a private university in the locality. After the accident, four persons got down near Nallurvayal and the driver left the car back on the lane near the restaurant.

Palaniammal’s son R. Siva (22), a college student, said in his complaint that the five persons were suspected to be students of the private institution. The complainant said that his mother had been taking care of him and his younger sister, after the demise of his father.

The youth sought action against the persons who caused the accident, following which the Karunya Nagar police registered the FIR for offences under Sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way) and 304A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code.

An official from Karunya Nagar police station said they were yet to identify the passengers and owner of the car.