PALAKKAD: Three young men were killed and three others were seriously injured after their car lost control and overturned near Kallingal junction on Chittur Road late Saturday night.
The accident occurred around 11 pm when a wild boar suddenly darted onto the road.
The victims have been identified as Rohan (24), son of Ranjith from Nooradi Road, Rohan Santhosh (22), son of Santhosh from Noorani, and Sanoosh (19), son of Santhakumar from Yakkara.
All three died on the spot. The injured — Adithyan (23) of Chandranagar, Rishi (24) of Yakkara, and Jithin (21) of Nenmara — have been admitted to the district hospital.
According to police, the group of six friends was returning to Palakkad from Chittur when the wild boar ran across the road. In an attempt to avoid hitting the animal, the driver swerved sharply, causing the car to lose control.
The vehicle first crashed into a roadside milestone and a tree before plunging into a paddy field below. The impact was so severe that the car was completely destroyed, and a large section of the tree was sheared off.
Four of the passengers were seated at the back and two in the front. Rescue teams reported that one of the rear-seat passengers was thrown out of the vehicle. Fire and Rescue personnel, along with police and local residents, used cutting equipment to break open the mangled car and pull out the trapped victims.
The two passengers in the front seat and one in the rear survived the crash.
All six were close friends who regularly met in Palakkad on weekends for outings. Sanoosh was a student, while the others were either studying or employed outside the district.
A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway.