Six passengers of a car were killed and four others were injured after the vehicle rammed a stationary lorry from behind on the Tiruchi-Madurai national highway at Soriampatti near Valanadu in the early hours of Monday. Police identified the deceased as S. Kasturi (40), S. Arumugam (26), N. Nalluraj – the car driver, Karuppusamy (40), Subramani (50) and R. Subbiah (67) – all from Vilathikulam in Tuticorin district. The occupants of the car were returning to Vilathikulam from Vellore district after visiting the house of a groom in connection with a marriage proposal when the vehicle dashed against the lorry parked on the roadside owing to mechanical defect, according to police. Police sources said five persons including the car driver died on the spot, while five others sustained injuries. The injured who were admitted to the Government Hospital in Manapparai were subsequently referred to the Tiruchi Government Hospital. One of the injured Subbiah succumbed later, increasing the number of the deceased to six. The Valanadu police have registered a case. The sources said the Madurai-bound stationary lorry from Andhra Pradesh had no danger light and safety cone on the rear side of the vehicle to alert the approaching vehicles. It is suspected that the car driver dozed off resulting in losing control.
