Six of a family die in car-truck collision in TN's Tiruvannamalai

TIRUVANNAMALAI: Six persons, including a three-month-old baby, were killed while four others suffered injuries in a road accident near Arni in Tiruvannamalai district on Friday, police sources said.

The accident happened when the car they were travelling in from Vellore to a temple in Chengam lost control and collided with a rice-laden truck coming from the opposite direction at Munivanthangal junction on Cuddalore-Chittoor highway, falling under Santhavasal police station limits.

The deceased were identified as M Murthy, 55, his mother Muniyammal, 73, sister in law Radhika, 45, daughter in law Parimala, 19, and three-year-old granddaughter Nisha, all from Gangai Ammancoil Street, Agravaram, and Gomathi, 26, of Pennathur Sozhavaram, Vellore district.

“The accident occurred after the driver lost control of the car after a rear tyre burst. It collided with the truck coming in the opposite direction. All the six died on the spot,” according to N Kotteeswaran, Arni DSP.

Murthy’s son Sasikumar, 25, was on the wheels when the accident happened. Apart from him, three others-Poornima, 21, Malathy, 45, and Kamala, 50, suffered injuries and were admitted at the Govt Vellore Medical College Hospital, Adukkamparai in Vellore.

The condition of all but Poornima was stated to be critical, the sources informed.

A three and a half-year-old child Kumaran escaped unhurt in the tragic accident. Top officers including SP Pawan Kumar Reddy and Arni RDO Kavitha visited the spot and held inquiries.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the family members were proceeding from Virupatchipuram in Vellore to the Mariamman temple at Pudur in Chengam for paying worship.

Santhavasal police have registered a case regarding the fatal mishap.