Kerala: Man dies as speeding car collides with autorickshaw
Thiruvananthapuram: One person was killed and four others injured in a tragic road accident at Pattom, a commercial region of Thiruvananthapuram, in the early hours of Sunday.
The incident occurred when a speeding car collided with an autorickshaw and a two-wheeler.
The deceased has been identified as Sivakumar, also known as Suni, a concrete worker from Mangattukadavu, Thirumala, in the state capital city. He was driving the autorickshaw at the time of the collision and was charred to death after his vehicle caught fire. The autorickshaw was completely gutted in the blaze.
According to police, the accident took place around 3.30 a.m. Four others sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital.
Among the injured were a man and a woman travelling on the two-wheeler; the woman, a pillion rider, reportedly suffered burns from the autorickshaw fire.
Locals were the first ones to rush to the spot and tried to help the victims.
Witnesses told reporters that the car, allegedly driven by a 19-year-old, was carrying four or five men who appeared to be in an inebriated state.
Police suspect that drunk driving and overspeeding were the primary causes of the accident. Liquor bottles were found inside the car, adding weight to the suspicion.
The Medical College police have registered a case and launched an investigation.
According to Kerala Police records, as of February 2025, a total of 638 people had lost their lives and 9,703 were injured in 8,464 road accidents statewide.
In 2024 alone, 3,774 fatalities and 54,743 injuries were reported from 48,919 accidents in the state.
The Kerala Police have intensified awareness campaigns across all districts to combat careless and drunk driving. A senior traffic officer noted that while there has been a slight reduction in road accidents recently, sustained efforts are essential to further reduce such incidents.
