5 of family sleeping in barricaded part of highway crushed under a truck in Kerala

According to the police, the deceased and injured belong to a nomadic family from a village in Palakkad along the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. They had been staying in the area for the last few weeks as others in their group did odd jobs in the region.

The timber-loaded truck crashed the barricade before hitting the victims. The police said the truck driver Chamakkalachira Jose, 54, and cleaner Ezhiyalakkunnil Alex, 33 – both hailing from Kannur – were inebriated at the time of the accident. Both were arrested on charges of culpable homicide.

Thrissur district collector Arjun Pandian, who visited the spot, told reporters that at the time of the accident the cleaner was driving the truck, adding that he did not have a valid driving licence. “After destroying the barricade, the truck went around 50 metres ahead and ran over the family. Medical examination shows that the truck driver and cleaner were inebriated. All steps have been taken to ensure treatment for the injured,” Pandian said.
One of the rescue workers alleged that the truck did not stop even after the incident. It moved ahead but got stuck in traffic.

Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar said the transport commissioner has been directed to launch a probe into the incident. “The registration of the truck and its permit will be suspended immediately. The driver’s licence will be cancelled. We have also asked officials to ensure that people do not sleep on the road at night. The victims will be given financial assistance after consulting with the Chief Minister,” he said.