Three taxi drivers died on the spot and two others sustained injuries, on Tuesday, when a car in which they were travelling rammed a roadside tree at Kalendra on the Jolarpet-Vaniyambadi Road.
All of them were residents of Moulivakkam in Chennai. The accident occurred when they were returning to Chennai after visiting Yelagiri, the police said.
The deceased have been identified as Janakiraman, 25, Siva, 25, and Prakash, 26. Other two occupants, Umapathi, 25, and Subramani, 26, suffered injuries. Umapathi, who was driving the car, tried to avoid a collision with another car.
On being alerted, the Vaniyambadi police arrived and retrieved the trapped bodies with the help of local villagers.
The injured were admitted to the Vaniyambadi Government Hospital.