A routine drive turned fatal when a car crashed into a water tanker lorry on a Tamil Nadu highway. Five lives lost, including three women. Police probe speed and driver error.
Five people, including four members of the same family, were killed on Sunday when their speeding car crashed into a stationary lorry on the Pollachi-Pallani National Highway in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore district. The lorry was carrying a water tanker used for watering roadside plants.
The accident occurred near Nallampalli, a stretch known for moderate traffic. Police said the car was travelling at high speed from Udumalpet when the driver lost control. The vehicle veered off its lane, crossed the central median, and slammed into the stationary lorry. The impact was so severe that the car was completely mangled beyond recognition.
Four of the deceased belonged to a single family from Gurubampalayam, near Madukkarai in Coimbatore. Police identified them as Kanagaraj, his wife Poornima, and their two daughters, Amritha and Aarthi. The fifth victim's identity has not yet been confirmed. Officials suspect the fifth person was an acquaintance or relative travelling with the family.
Three women were among the dead. The family was reportedly returning from Udumalpet, where they had gone for a personal visit. What should have been a routine drive home turned into a tragedy within seconds. The driver of the lorry, which was parked on the median with its hazard lights on, escaped unhurt.
Local residents were the first to reach the scene. They pulled out the bodies from the wrecked car and alerted the police. A team from the Komangalam police station arrived shortly after. They cordoned off the area, diverted traffic, and began the grim task of recovering the bodies. All five were sent to the Pollachi Government Hospital for autopsy.
CCTV footage seized as investigators piece together the final moments
The police have registered a case and are now examining CCTV footage from cameras installed along the national highway. The footage is expected to show the exact sequence of events leading up to the collision. Investigators are particularly focused on the car's speed and whether the driver attempted to brake or swerve before impact.
"We have seized the footage and are analysing it frame by frame," a senior police officer said. "We are also trying to ascertain who was driving the car at the time of the accident. The identity of the fifth victim is also being verified through documents recovered from the vehicle."
Traffic on the highway was disrupted for nearly two hours following the crash. Police teams worked quickly to remove the car wreckage and clear the road. The lorry was also moved to a nearby police compound for inspection. By late evening, traffic had returned to normal.
Preliminary investigation suggests that overspeeding may have been the primary cause. The highway is straight in that section, which often encourages drivers to accelerate. However, the presence of a stationary lorry on the median may have caught the driver off guard. Police have not ruled out the possibility of driver fatigue or a sudden mechanical failure.
