TIRUPPUR: A couple died as the ambulance in which they were heading to a hospital in Coimbatore collided with a lorry parked on the roadside near Palladam in the Tiruppur district in the wee hours of Friday.
The deceased were K Murugan (65) and wife Kalyani (60) of Pattukkottai in Thanjavur.
Their daughter Babitha (33) who was injured has been admitted to the Coimbatore Government Medical College Hospital. Two other injured — ambulance driver Mathiazhagan (21) and ambulance attendant Vijay (20) — were also admitted to the same hospital.
The accident occurred around 4.30 am on Friday near Perumpali in Palladam on the NH 81. The ambulance driver lost control and rammed the rear of a lorry parked on the roadside, said police.
Murugan died on the spot and Kalyani died at the Palladam Government Hospital, police added.
“Murugan was running a coir rope factory. He had fractured his hip after falling from a truck a few days ago. While undergoing treatment at Pattukkottai, he was referred to a private hospital in Coimbatore for further treatment. The family had left for Coimbatore in a private ambulance on Thursday night,” police explained.
A police officer said “the accident happened as the driver was drowsy. A case will be registered against him.”