Chengalpattu: On the busy Chennai-Trichy National Highway, a dramatic incident took place on Tuesday at the Paranur toll booth in Chengalpattu. A mentally disturbed man suddenly climbed into the driver’s seat of a lorry loaded with construction materials and drove off at high speed towards Tambaram, shocking motorists and sparking a police chase.
The lorry, owned by Anbu from Kelambakkam, was driven by Kamalakannan and was en route to Vandalur. Kamalakannan had stopped near the Paranur toll booth to recharge his FASTag when the unknown man jumped into the vehicle and sped away.
Shocked, Kamalakannan alerted the traffic police at the toll booth, saying, “Sir, I was driving that lorry. I had parked it to recharge my FASTag when someone suddenly took off with it.”
The alert was immediately passed on to highway patrol units. Policemen Balamurugan, Lokesh Gandhi, and Mohan attempted to block the road near Mahindra City, but the driver ignored their signals and continued at high speed. Many onlookers initially thought it was a film shoot due to the dramatic nature of the chase.
Police made another attempt to stop the lorry near the Singaperumal Temple but were unsuccessful. In a daring move, officer Balamurugan, riding pillion on a bike with a colleague, jumped onto the moving lorry and tried to stop the driver, who refused to comply. Other motorists were frightened by the erratic driving, but fortunately, no accidents occurred.
The chase ended near the Maraimalai Nagar railway station on GST Road, where the lorry crashed into a roadblock. The driver attempted to flee but was quickly surrounded and apprehended by police.
The suspect was identified as Subash (35) from Palayankottai in Nellai district. He had reportedly been wandering around the Chengalpattu toll booth area for the past two days, appearing mentally unstable.
Further investigation revealed that Subash had entered a nearby temple the previous evening, stolen construction materials, and allegedly attempted to harass women walking near the toll booth. He was taken for a medical evaluation before being brought to the police station for questioning.
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