Chennai : Double Formula 4 racing title holder Ashwin Sundar and his wife Nivedhita died on Saturday after the car they were travelling rammed into a roadside tree and caught fire.
Passersby gathered ar-ound the car but couldn’t do anything to douse the fire or save the couple due to the continuing explosions. One of them alerted the Chennai city police control room. Fire and rescue personnel from nearby Mylapore rushed to the spot and battled with the burning car for over half-an-hour. In the end, however, they could only recover the charred bodies.
“It’s a sad day for motor sports,” Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) president Akbar Ebrahim tweeted. “I knew Ashwin since he was an infant and I saw him excel in all formats of the sport,” he added.
Thirty-one-year-old Ashwin took to racing early in his life and won many titles in his illustrious career. In 2006, he was adjudged Champion of Champions in India after winning the 115cc 4-stroke and 150cc 4-stroke titles. In 2012 and 2013 he became the country’s undisputed F4 champion as well. His wife, Nivedhita, was a doctor at a private hospital. —IANS
