A 55-year-old truck driver who suffered a sudden heart attack saved several road users by safely parking the vehicle on the Chennai Bengaluru highway near Sriperumbudur before his demise on Friday. 

According to the Kancheepuram district police, Selvam was a driver hailing from Chembarambakkam near Poonamallee in Tiruvallur district. On Friday, after loading paint consignment from a private company in the Sriperumbudur SIPCOT industrial estate onto a small goods vehicle and unloading the cargo near Ponthur, Selvam was driving along the Chengalpattu - Sriperumbudur Road when he had severe chest pain.

Despite suffering a heart attack, Selvam acted with presence of mind and managed to park the vehicle safely on the roadside, thereby ensuring the safety of other road users. However within a few minutes of parking the vehicle, Selvam died in the driver’s seat. His assistant Ezhilarasan, who was accompanying him, immediately informed the Sriperumbudur police station. The police recovered the body of Selvam and sent it to Sriperumbudur Government Hospital for a post-mortem. 

The driver’s action of parking the vehicle on the roadside drew a lot of praise from motorists who gathered in large numbers on the highway. 

Published - July 24, 2026 11:09 pm IST