A F-1600 category racer from the MRF Indian National Racing Championship, Vikash Anand rammed into 12 parked autos in an uptown Chennai neighbourhood last night. A junior prodigy won two races in his category earning a scholarship in USA, along with a spot in the prestigious Mazda Road to Indy programme.
Vikash, who idolises Michael Schumacher was allegedly drunk when he was behind the wheel. However, there has been no confirmation from the Chennai Police, regarding the matter. The son of a High Court lawyer, he hit a road media during the wee hours of the night, causing him to lose control, he directly crashed into 29-year old auto-driver, Arumgam’s vehicle. He died at the General Hospital in Chennai within minutes of the accident. Another pedestrian has been severely injured and has been termed ‘critical’ by doctors as he fights for his life.
Vikash was arrested by Chennai Police immediately after the accident, and currently remains in custody. A senior Police official told Sportskeeda, “The accident took place at 2:40 am on Cathedral road, the auto drivers have been parked there for the last decade and ply their trade at the Egmore Auto stand. At this moment, I cannot release any case details as of now, so you will know shortly whether the accused was inebriated.”
Upon contacting the Madras Motorsports Club (MMC), it was evident that Vikash was an integral part of the city’s racing circuit. A source within the organisation said, “Vikash had a standout 2013 season and went off to the USA, but upon return his form had slightly dipped. So he took a break from racing to concentrate on studies, he was going to participate in the F2000 season. He wanted to break into the MRF Challenge again. We are all saddened by the situation and want to know the exact details of what happened on Monday morning.”
Ravi, an auto-driver present at the incident told The News Minute, “It all happened so fast and so close to the Chief Minister’s residence, with so many personnel around. My auto’s windshield was shattered and I was the last in line, by the time we recovered the police had taken the driver away.”
Vikash’s parents refused to comment on the issue, until further developments.
