4 of family die as lorry rams car; 5-yr-old boy survives

Tiruchy: Four persons from the same family died on the spot while a 5-year-old boy escaped with injuries after a lorry rammed into their car and hit a truck proceeding in front at Perambalur early on Monday.

R Muniappan (45), a resident from Vaikkalkarai area near Sirkazhi in Mayiladuthurai district, has been running a financial firm in Karur and Sirkazhi. On Sunday, Muniappan along with his mother Palaniammal (65), wife Kalaivani (40), daughter Harini (13) and son Karmugilan (5) were proceeding to Sirkazhi from Karur.

When the car was nearing Thirumandurai toll plaza on Tiruchy-Chennai bypass around 4.30 am on Monday, a truck that was proceeding in front slowed down suddenly and Muniappan who was driving the car applied brake to avert hitting it. But, a limestone-laden lorry that was following behind rammed into the car, pushing it ahead and hit the truck in front. In the impact, Muniappan, Palaniammal, Kalaivani and Harini were crushed to death.

Karmugilan sustained injuries and was struggling for life. Mangalamedu police along with Fire and Rescue personnel rushed to the spot and rescued the boy and sent him to Perambalur Headquarters GH. They retrieved the bodies from the car and sent them to the Perambalur GH. SP S Mani, DSP Valavan and other officials visited the spot. The police registered a case and arrested S Perumal (45), the lorry driver from Thoothukudi.

3 working on highway killed

Meanwhile in Sattur, 3 persons were killed in an accident, which occurred at Meenatchipuram junction on bypass road in Virudhunagar district. Around 3 pm, K Gurusamy (56) of Pandavarmangalam village, Kovilpatti, Thoothukudi lost control of his car while driving and hit three persons engaged in installing road barriers at a damaged portion on the highway, sources said. The deceased have been identified as A Selvapandi (35), V Karuppasamy (32), P Ramkumar (31), sources said. The car driver Gurusamy was also injured and admitted to Tirunelveli GMCH, sources said.