Four killed in accident

Car hits tree as driver falls asleep

A car returning to Hyderabad from Tirumala fatally knocked down a shepherd and then rammed a roadside tree, killing three occupants inside, near Vemula village in Jogulamba Gadwal district here on Sunday.

Eight persons of a family, including four minors, were returning from a pilgrimage to Tirumala.

Shepherd killed

The victims were identified as Mahesh (38) of Parsigutta here, his seven-year-old daughter, her 12-year-old cousin and Radhakrishna, a shepherd from Kodandaramapuram village near Vemula.

According to Jogulamba Gadwal superintendent of police K.P. Laxmi Naik, around 11.30 a.m. Yadagiri, co-brother of Mahesh, who was driving the car, apparently fell asleep and that led to the accident.

“Their car hit the shepherd and then a roadside tree,” he said.

While Mahesh was seated next to the driver, two girls and other members from the family occupied the rear seat.

Passers-by and villagers pulled out the injured from the car, which was reduced into a mangled heap due to impact of the accident.

They were shifted to government hospital in Kurnool.