A tragic accident near Chennai claimed the lives of a seven-month pregnant woman, her unborn child, and her father after a car driven by an allegedly drunk driver rammed into their vehicle on the Maduravoyal-Tambaram Bypass near Anakaputhur early Tuesday morning.
The victims were identified as 23-year-old Deepika, her unborn baby, and her father Padmanabhan (60), residents of Madurai. Deepika had been living in Kotturpuram, Chennai, with her husband. The family had gathered in the city to celebrate her baby shower, after which her parents were accompanying her to Madurai for her delivery.
On Monday night, they attended a relative&rsquo;s child&rsquo;s birthday party and began their return journey early Tuesday. Around dawn, their car was hit head-on by another vehicle coming at high speed in the wrong lane from a petrol station.
The crash killed Deepika and Padmanabhan on the spot. Deepika&rsquo;s mother suffered critical head injuries and was rushed to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. The driver of their car also sustained injuries and is being treated at Chromepet Government Hospital.
The driver of the other car, Manikandan, was reportedly intoxicated, speeding, and driving against traffic. He was arrested at the scene, and a case has been registered under relevant sections of the IPC for rash and negligent driving causing death.
Authorities confirmed that his reckless actions directly caused the crash. The bodies of Deepika and her father were sent for autopsy. The incident has sparked public anger, with many calling for stricter action against drunk driving and unsafe road behaviour. [Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed]

Pregnant Woman and Father Die in Drunk Driving Crash

Tragedy strikes family returning from baby shower as drunk driver causes fatal Chennai collision

Pregnant Woman, Father Die in Drunk Driving Crash

Tragedy strikes family returning from baby shower as drunk driver causes fatal Chennai collision

June 24, 2025 | 21:23 IST