TTF Vasan alias V Vaikunthavasan was injured after he met an accident while wheeling. He suffered injuries after his attempted bike stunt went wrong along a service road of the Chennai-Bengaluru highway near Kancheepuram on September 17. The video of his accident went viral on social media, and netizens derided the moto vlogger for his dangerous driving, which often puts other road users’ lives at great risk.
Reports said Vasan was on his way to Coimbatore, where he is based on his motorbike, when the accident happened. He had attempted a “Wheeling” or “Wheelie” (a manoeuvre by which the motorbike is ridden with the front wheel off the ground for a short distance) when he lost control. In the video, it can be seen the rider was thrown off the highway onto the thickets along the service road while the bike itself toppled, and did a cartwheel, and fell a few meters of Vasan. Fortunately, Vasan survived the fall and was moved to a private hospital nearby, where he is being treated. He is in prison pending bail after being arrested for dangerous riding had another blow after the accident. The bike he drove on the fateful day was suzuki hayabusa gen 3 model in Chennai costing nearly 18.51 Lakh and the helmet he wore at the time of the accident was priced at over Rs.1.5 lakhs.
He is a habitual MV act violations and road safety rules and has been booked by police in more than one district for offences such as over speeding and rash driving. On hearing the accident, Baluchetty Chattram Police in Kancheepuram booked Vasan and arrested him. His bail petitions have been dismissed by local courts and recently by the High Court which even remarked that his two-wheeler be burnt and Youtube channel shut down.
Taking note of the recommendations from the Police to disqualify the driver’s license, in a proceeding order dated October 7, the Office of the Licensing Authority cum Regional Transport Officer (RTO) of Kancheepuram Transport Department disqualified his driving licence for 10 years from October 6, 2023, to October 5, 2033. Thinakaran N, Licencing authority cum Regional Transport Officer, Kancheepuram, noted that there were eight cases booked against Vasan by the Greater Chennai Traffic Police for offences such as rash driving, using defective number plates, and riding without helmets. He was also booked under different sections of the Motor Vehicles Act for various traffic violations in the past in the Nilgiris and Cuddalore districts of Tamil Nadu, and one case was booked against him in Manali, Himachal Pradesh. The RTO asked TTF Vasan to appeal before the Appealing Authority or Joint Transport Commissioner in Chennai within 30 days if he wanted to get his licence back. “ Vasan’s driving license stands disqualified until October 5, 2033. If aggrieved, Vasan shall appeal before the Joint Transport” the order says .
Madras High Court on Thursday refused to grant bail on 5th of this month. Justice C V Karthikeyan made oral remarks stating “Quite fortunately for others and unfortunately for the petitioner, he alone had suffered an injury during the incident. It is a lesson for him. Let him continue to be in custody. Vasan’s YouTube channel should be shut down and his bike should be charred down”
It was the third time his bail petition was dismissed in the case. He had approached the High Court after being denied bail twice by the Kancheepuram district court on September 21 and 26.
Earlier, Additional public prosecutor submitted that Vasan, who runs a YouTube channel called Twin Throttlers, had around 45 lakhs and indulges in dangerous bike races with expensive bikes costing more than Rs.20 lakhs and 3 lakh worth suit. He has large number of followers on social media. The government advocate said “many youngsters who admire Vasan and other popular bikers often got influenced and carried away by watching such videos and that they end up driving rashly and attempting dangerous stunts, endangering their own lives and the lives of other road users”. His followers without having any safety suits, gears and high valued helmet indulge in wheelie and get fractured their limbs and die due to head and fatal injuries.
Vasan’s counsel argued that as Vasan is injured with a fracture in his right hand, sought permission to get medical treatment from a private hospital. After the the submission, the judge directed the jail authorities to provide medical treatment to examine his injuries. Vasan’s counsel said In the bail petition ” while the cattle were crossing the road at a moderate speed, the wheel of the vehicle lifted as the rider suddenly braked, and if the brakes were not applied, there would have been a danger to the cattle and his life”
Doctors warn “Wheeling incidents have led to death in some cases. There are also chances of brain injury and a fall or accident may leave a person disabled for life,”. Following fatal accident, TN government has banned wheeling and in neighbour karnataka bikers performing wheelies and tampering with their silencers will have pay a fine of Rs 2 lakhs.
