Autorickshaw driver, 35, who died had an unblemished traffic record

TNN | Nov 13, 2017, 01:33 IST

Chennai: The first time 35-year-old B Rajesh decided to spend the night at his autorickshaw stand on Dr Radhakrishnan Salai turned out to be the last.

As it is to many auto drivers, the vehicle was a makeshift home to Rajesh, who died when a speeding car rammed his autorickshaw at 2.30am on Sunday. Rajesh, the sole breadwinner of his family, decided to retire for the night at the stand after dropping off a passenger on Dr Radhakrishnan Salai. It was also to get away from the mosquitoes in his Purasaiwalkam home.

Sunday's fatal accident was not the first for autorickshaw drivers in the area. Many drivers who witnessed the death of Arumugham, who was killed in a similar accident in September 2016, have moved from the locality since then.

Rajesh, a native of Parameshmangalam village near Arakkonam, is survived by his wife Gayathri and sons, Tamilselvan, 7, and Dhanush, 5.

On Sunday, Rajesh, spoke to his wife at 12.30am, saying he was ferrying a passenger to R K Salai. After finding many of his acquaintances sleeping at the stand, he too decided to spend the night in the vehicle.

"We received a call around 3am about the accident and rushed to the city," said Sampath, Rajesh's father-in-law. "He earned `300 daily and would come home on alternate days to see his children," he said.

Rajesh was also taking care of his elderly parents, who have both undergone surgeries recently.

Police had never booked Rajesh, an experienced driver, for a traffic violation. "Rajesh had been driving autos vehicle for 16 years and had never caused an accident," said his friend Sundaralingam, also from Arakkonam.

"For those arrested it would be few days of jail. But a family has lost a loved one and a breadwinner," said Venkatesan, an autorickshaw driver, who had parked a few metres from the accident spot.