Car racer, wife die as BMW hits tree, goes up in flames

CHENNAI: Car racing champion Ashwin Sundar and wife were killed in an accident last week after their BMW crashed into a tree in Chennai, and caught fire. The accident occurred at the Pattikapakkam area, on the Santhome High Road. Ashwin, 27, was a national LGB F4 category champion, 2012 and 2013. His wife Nivedha, 26, was a doctor at a private hospital. Authorities said fire fighters received the distress call at around 1:51 am, and a team rushed to the scene, however, it was too late. "When we arrived, the fire was on and and we did not know the couple was inside. We extinguished the fire in 16 minutes and found them both trapped. The lady's legs were seen trapped. The driver's side of the car was also mangled perhaps making it difficult for Ashwin to move," a fire department official said.