Three pilgrims, including a couple, were killed and six others injured after their car collided with a stationary truck in Madhya Pradesh's Betul district in the early hours of Saturday, police said.
The victims, all hailing from Nagpur in neighbouring Maharashtra, were travelling to Kubereshwar Dham in Sehore district, an official said.
The accident occurred around 3.15 am near Jeetu Dhaba on the Multai four-lane road when the speeding car rammed into the rear of a parked truck, Multai police station house officer Vikas Patel told PTI.
Deepak Rawat (52), his wife Chhaya (42), and Prabha Kavrata (25) were killed in the crash, while six injured, including the driver and children, were taken to the Multai government hospital and later referred to Nagpur for treatment, he said.
Police suspect the driver may have dozed off at the wheel and failed to notice the parked vehicle, though the exact cause of the accident would be ascertained after an investigation, Patel said.
A case has been registered, and the bodies have been sent for post-mortem, he added.