Two men- a bike taxi driver and passenger on pillion- died after an unidentified speeding car hit them near Chromepet in the early hours of Monday.

The accident occurred at 2:40 am near a Temple at Tambaram Sanatorium. The driver Balraj, 28, of Athipattu had picked up Balamurugan, 22, for a ride. When the duo were heading towards Chromepet, the car rammed into them and sped away without stopping. In the impact, the duo fell down from the bike and Balamurugan died on the spot. Police said that only Balraj was wearing a helmet during the ride. The police said that passersby immediately alerted emergency services, and Balraj who was critically injured was rushed to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital for treatment. He succumbed to injuries later.

The police said that Balraj, was a bike taxi driver by profession and Balamurugan was studying in a private coaching centre for competitive exams. He was staying with his friends at Pallavaram.

Traffic Investigation Wing (TIW), Chromepet registered a case and were scrutinising CCTV footage from the area to identify the car and its driver responsible for the accident.