COIMBATORE: Three people died and four suffered injuries after a concrete mixer vehicle crashed into a roadside tea stall near Dharapuram in Tirupur on Thursday. Police said the condition of some of the injured people is critical.
According to sources, P Rathinakumar (28) was driving the lorry from Tuticorin to Mettur. On Thursday around 7.30 am when it reached Suriyanallur, Rathinakumar allegedly lost control of the truck due to speeding. The truck veered off from the road, rammed an electric pole and halted after crashing into a tea shop owned by M Kalamani at Suriyanallur village.
In the impact of the collision, the roof of the driver's cabin detached and fell on the road. Seven people - N Suppan (75), K Govindasamy (67), P Manickam (46) from Kuppanagoundenpalayam, K Muthusamy (60) of Ramanathapuram, K Chellamani (64) of S.Kanchipuram, who were at the tea stall, a college student K Mahendran (20) who was waiting at the bus stand next to the tea stall and the truck driver Rathinakumar were badly injured.
Locals and police rescued them and took them to the Dharapuram government hospital. But Suppan, Muthusamy and Rathinakumar were declared brought dead at the hospital. The lorry went deep inside the tea shop and could be taken out with the help of a crane. Police suspect that the driver might have dozed off while at the wheel. Kundadam police have registered a case.