Sri Lakhsmi and Lavanya, both 23 years old, were rammed by a car in Chennai
Two women software professionals were killed when they were hit by a speeding car while crossing the road at Chennai's IT corridor last night.
S Lavanya and R Lakshmi, both 23, worked as analysts at HCL State Street Service. They were on their way home, at around 11.30 pm on Wednesday, when a Honda City rammed them.
The driver, Motheesh Kumar, has been arrested. The 20-year-old surrendered. He works with his father, who manufactures paper plates, investigators say.
Kumar was driving the Honda City at a very high speed, a senior police officer told NDTV.
"The car appears to have run at a high speed of around 130 km per hour. The young women worked as analysts with HCL State Street Service and they were heading home," MR GK Kannan, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Tambaram said.
"The Police Commissioner arranged ambulances on the government's expense to help the families take home the bodies," the officer said.
One of them was killed, instantly while the other died in hospital.
Lavanya was from Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh and Lakshmi, from Kerala's Palakkad.
The IT corridor comprises of a toll road dotted with tech companies and a huge residential population. Many say it lacks enough zebra crossings, forcing pedestrians to take risks and cross roads in the middle of traffic.
"The highways department is lethargic about this. Either they ought to provide zebra crossings with signal safety or construct overhead bridges for pedestrians or erect barricades on the median. Now many cross the median putting their lives at risk," said a senior police officer.