K.Harikumar (57) of Thiruvananthapuram was killed when the car he was driving veered off the road and fell into a gorge along the Madurai-Tiruchi Highway near Melur on Saturday.
The deceased was the father of Krishnan Unni, an Indian Administrative Service officer, who has been posted as Assistant Collector (Training) at Tiruchi.
Mr.Harikumar and his wife Usha Devi were going to Tiruchi to meet their son.
Police said the deceased would have lost control of the vehicle, probably after one of the tyres burst, at around noon near Narasingampatti.
Ms.Usha Devi has been admitted to a private hospital with a hip injury.