Three persons died in two separate accidents separated by less than three hours in close proximity along the National Highway in the city on Tuesday morning.
In the first accident, a lorry with a heavy load of log crashed behind two lorries parked along the roadside near INTUC Junction in Nettoor killing the driver and the cleaner around 4.40 a.m.
The deceased were identified as Maria John, 50, the driver, and Rajesh, 36, the cleaner; both from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. According to Panangad Police, the driver probably dozed off leading to the tragedy.
It was with great difficulty that the fire force and the police retrieved them from the heavily mangled lorry. Though they were rushed to a nearby private hospital, they were declared brought dead, police said.
In the second accident, a car ran into pedestrians killing one and injuring two others, one seriously, at Kottaram Junction in Maradu around 7.15 a.m.
‘Driver dozed off’
The deceased was identified as R. Ramesh, 39, of Peerumedu, who was on his way to have tea. Selanj Raj, 40, of Vaikkom, was seriously injured while A. Sivaprasad, 47, of Karunagapally, was left with a fractured leg. Manu, 27, of Vaikkom, one of the occupants of the car, also suffered minor injury.
“The car had a group of four percussionists from Vaikkom who were on their way to perform at a temple near Kundannoor after a late night performance at another temple at Vaikkom,” said Byju P. Babu, sub inspector, Maradu.
Again, the accident might have been caused after the driver dozed off. Rahul aka Kuttayi, 26, of Vaikkom, who was behind the wheel, fled the scene soon after the accident.
The victim and the injured were rushed to a private hospital at Maradu where Rajesh was declared brought dead.
According to hospital sources, Ramesh and Selanj Raj were knocked down into a drain one over the other by the speeding car.
Ramesh probably had drowned in the drain water by the time he was helped out. Selanj Raj also had drank much water and was finding it difficult to breath. The car after knocking them down had come to a halt on the leg of Sivaprasad. Both the injured were shifted to Lakeshore Hospital. Manu with a hairline fracture to the neck was shifted to a hospital near his home at Vaikkom.