Eight of a Chennai family killed as speeding car hits stationary lorry in Tiruchy

TIRUCHY:  Eight people, including two children, all members of a family from Chennai died after their car rear-ended a stationary lorry on a National Highway near Samayapuram toll plaza in the early hours of Sunday. Five were hurt and admitted at the government hospital, Tiruchy. The victims were residents of Pallikkaranai and natives of Perugamani near Tiruchy.

According to police, M Subramani (65), his wife Jayalakshmi (58), sons Balamurugan (42) and Vijayaragavan (36), daughter Preetha (a) Packiyalakshmi (35), daughters-in-law Kavitha (38) and Gomathi (30), son-in-law Manjunathan (40) and five grandchildren were traveling to Perugamani to spend a few days at a house they recently bought. The car was reportedly travelling at a high speed. Balamurugan, who was driving, could not control the car when he saw the parked lorry. Police at the toll plaza rushed to the site.

Subramani, Jayalakshmi, Balamurugan, Vijayaragavan, Manjunathan, Gomathi, Kanthasami (11) and Nivetha (12) died on the spot. Preetha, Kavitha and Ramya (3) are being treated at GH Intensive Care Unit. Kanthalakshmi (12) and Jayashri (2) had minor injuries. Police arrested lorry driver S Venkatesh of Kalahasthi for parking on the road.

Trip without rest turned fatal?

It was a vacation that turned fatal. Anxious to make it to their native village, the family ignored sleep and continued their trip almost non-stop.

According to police, the family was travelling continuously without taking rest. It was only on Saturday that they returned to Chennai from Shirdi and only had a few hours of rest before they hit the road again. Because of this, the family, including driver Balamurugan, was fatigued, they added.