Racer, wife charred to death as BMW catches fire in Chennai
CHENNAI: Race driver Ashwin Sundar and his wife Niveditha were charred to death on Saturday morning after their BMW crashed and caught fire in Chennai.
The incident, which was caught on video and went viral on social media, took place around 3.30am, police told HT. Both Sundar and his wife, a doctor at a private hospital in Chennai, died on the spot after their car swerved out of control and crashed into a tree, catching fire.
Both of them were unable to open the doors and were trapped inside the burning vehicle.
The bodies have since been sent to the Royapettah Government Hospital for a postmortem.
Sundar is a former national champion, having won the Formula 4 national title twice. He had also won the MRF Formula 1,600 International Challenge competition on two occasions.
In 2008, the 27-year-old race driver signed a deal with German racing team Ma Con Motorsport and subsequently drove for the German Formula Volkswagen ADAC Championship.
In an interview then, he had said, “I actually like riding bikes more. On two-wheelers, you get the real sense of speed, it feels more dangerous.”
The news of his death has shocked the Indian motorsport fraternity. “It’s a sad day for motor sports,” FMSCI president Akbar Ebrahim said.
“Very sad to hear this morning that the young Indian National racing champion Ashwin Sundar and his wife were killed in a road accident,” wrote former Formula 1 driver Karun Chandhok on Twitter.
Badminton ace Jwala Gutta termed Sundar’s death as tragic, while Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje also offered her condolences to the bereaved family.