MADURAI: Six people, including five members of a family, died on Wednesday after the car that the family was travelling in hit a two-wheeler before ramming into the median and turning turtle on the other side of the national highway near Tirumangalam. The driver of the two-wheeler also lost his life in the mishap.
According to the police, the incident happened around 6.45 am, when K Manikandan from Villapuram in the district was on his way back to Madurai after attending a temple festival at Thalavaipuram in Villapuram.
He was travelling with his wife Nagajothi, their twin eight-year-old daughters — Sivasri and Siva Athmika, elder daughter M Siva Athithya (11), his parents R Kanagavel (62) and K Krishnakumari (51), and their relatives R Rathinasamy (64) and R Meena (55). They were on the national highway and were heading on the same direction as G Pandi (53), a fruit vendor from Karuvelampatti.
As captured in the video footage that have been circulating online, Manikandan allegedly lost control of the vehicle, hit Pandi, who was thrown off his bike and is said to have landed 100 m away from the accident spot, then rammed into the median before his car turned turtle on to the service road.
According to the police, Manikandan was trying to avoid crashing into Pandi, but lost control of his vehicle.
Manikandan’s parents, wife, daughter Athmika, and Pandi died on the spot. The Kallikudi police rushed to the spot and shifted the bodies to the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH). Although Manikandan, Sivasri, Athithya, Rathinasamy, and Meena were rushed for treatment, Sivasri succumbed at the hospital.
Manikandan, Athithya, Rathinasamy and Meena, who were undergoing treatment at the hospital, are believed to be out of danger. The police added that Manikandan was saved because he had his seat belt on.