THRISSUR: A 41-year-old man who tried to rescue a cat stranded in the middle of the road died after being hit by a Kalathode near Mannuthy in Thrissur.
The deceased, Sijo Chittilapilly, was hit by the truck at around 10.30 pm on April 8 at Kalathode junction on Thrissur-Mannuthy road.
As per the CCTV visuals obtained from a nearby shop, Sijo, who came in a bike, parked it on the side of the road and rushed to the middle to rescue a cat.
"Although he asked the lorry to stop using the hand signal, the loaded vehicle was moving at high speed and everything happened within seconds," officials said.
Meanwhile, the cat jumped to the other side of the road immediately, while the lorry hit Sijo and dragged him.
Though local people rushed him to the nearest hospital, he was declared dead.
Mannuthy police have registered a case and initiated a probe.
Sijo, an animal lover was living in Kalathode. His neighbours shared that Sijo raise at least three cats and five dogs in his house and never leaves them at house unattended.
His parents passed many years back and only sister was living with her family abroad.
"He do not socialise much, but we have seen him always caring for animals. He used to feed stray dogs in the place. Every day, stray dogs wait for him to keep their food on the roadside near his home," shared Divit, a close relative of Sijo.