Chennai, May 13 (IANS) In a tragic road accident near Vellakovil in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruppur district during the early hours of Wednesday, six people, including a police constable on duty, were killed on the spot after a speeding car crashed into a lorry near a police checkpoint on the Karur National Highway.

According to police, the accident occurred near the Karur National Highway police checkpost at Vellakovil when officials were engaged in clearing a lorry that had earlier hit the median barrier in the middle of the road.

Police constable Ravichandran was reportedly assisting in the operation along with the lorry driver when the mishap took place.

Officials said a car travelling at high speed along the same stretch suddenly lost control and rammed into the stationary lorry with great force, triggering a devastating collision. The impact of the crash was so severe that six persons, including Constable Ravichandran, the lorry driver and four occupants travelling in the car, died instantly at the scene. Soon after receiving information about the accident, senior police officials and rescue personnel rushed to the spot and launched rescue operations.

The bodies of the victims were later recovered from the mangled vehicles and shifted to a nearby government hospital for post-mortem examinations.

Police said the identities and other details of the deceased are being verified, and efforts are underway to inform their relatives.

Preliminary investigations suggest that overspeeding may have been one of the major causes behind the accident, though officials said all possible angles are being examined.

The Vellakovil police have registered a case and initiated a detailed investigation into the incident.

Traffic movement along the highway was affected for some time following the accident before authorities cleared the damaged vehicles from the road and restored normal traffic flow.

The incident has sent shockwaves across the region and triggered widespread grief among local residents, particularly due to the death of the police constable who was performing official duty at the time of the accident.

–IANS

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