Speeding truck runs over motorists, two dead and 1 injured in Kochi

KOCHI: The rash and negligent driving of a truck driver took the lives of two motorists and left one person grievously injured on the NH66 at Cheranalloor on Monday morning. The deceased have been identified as Lisa Antony, 37, hailing from Panayikulam, and Naseeb, 38, of Mannam, Paravoor. Raveendran K S, 50, of Elukkara, North Paravur was admitted to a private hospital with serious head injuries.

According to police, the incident occurred around 10.30 am in front of a petrol station near Cheranalloor. “The truck and motorists were going towards the Edappally side. When one of the motorists slowed to enter the gas station on the right side, the other two-wheelers followed suit. Meanwhile, the truck, which was driven at high speed, mowed them down,” said the police.

Though the police, with the help of locals, rushed them to the hospital, they were pronounced dead.
“If the truck was driven within the allowed speed limit, the accident could have been avoided,” the officer added.

The Cheranalloor police registered a case against the truck driver Ajith Kumar Yadav (24), a UP resident, under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC.

“As per the CCTV visual collected from the accident, the driver of the truck committed a huge mistake. The video clearly shows a motorist slowing down to enter the petrol station on his right side. Even though the road was straight, the driver didn’t bother to apply the brake,” said another police officer who inspected the site.

Meanwhile, the hospital sources said the health condition of Raveendran still remains critical. “He is on ventilator support. Given the deep injuries to his head, a surgery needs to be performed,” said the hospital source.