Autorickshaw driver dies after tree falls on vehicle

A 38-year-old autorickshaw driver died after a palm tree fell on his vehicle near the Medavakkam Tank Road-Ayanavaram Road junction on Saturday afternoon. A school student who was in the vehicle escaped unhurt.

The deceased has been identified as Abdul Wahid of VOC Nagar in Tondiarpet. The accident took place around 1.15 p.m. when he turned into Ayanavaram Road from Medavakkam Tank Road. A palm tree inside the Institute of Mental Health campus fell and crushed the front portion of the autorickshaw. The police said the tree was infested with termites. The trunk was later removed from the road. Traffic was disrupted on the stretch for about an hour.