A video journalist, identified as Pradeep Kumar, lost his life after his motorcycle was struck by a speeding BMW on the Maduravoyal-Tambaram elevated bypass in Chennai on Tuesday night. Kumar, a cameraperson with a popular Telugu news channel and a part-time Rapido driver, was thrown off the elevated highway due to the force of the collision, resulting in his instant death.
His body was found approximately 100 meters away from the impact site, as per a report on India Today.
The car, registered to a private company in Velappanchavadi, was being driven by a driver named Murugan. According to the police, Murugan had just dropped off a passenger at the airport when he lost control of the vehicle, leading to the accident, reported Times of India. The car's airbags deployed during the incident, and the vehicle continued to travel approximately a kilometer before coming to a halt.
The driver of the BMW allegedly abandoned the vehicle at the accident site following the crash. Preliminary police investigations suggest the car’s automatic sensor system might have disabled the vehicle after the collision, forcing the driver to flee.
Commuters alerted authorities after spotting the damaged motorcycle and the abandoned luxury car. Upon investigation, Kumar's identity was confirmed through his ID cards found at the scene.
Kumar, residing in Pondy Bazaar of Chennai, was working for a Telugu news channel. Kumar's colleagues described him as a hardworking individual who took up bike taxi services to supplement his income and meet financial obligations, reported The Indian Express.
Police are actively searching for the BMW driver and have launched an investigation into the incident.
The accident has raised concerns over road safety on the elevated bypass and the increasing number of hit-and-run cases in the city.