Brake Failure Triggers Deadly Chain Collision Near Thoppur, Four Dead
Multi-vehicle collision claims four lives on highway.
A devastating multi-vehicle accident occurred on the Dharmapuri-Salem road near Thoppur in Dharmapuri district on Tuesday morning, resulting in four fatalities and injuries to four others. The incident was triggered when a lorry transporting poultry feed, suspected to have suffered brake failure, collided with a motorcycle and two trucks. The forceful impact propelled one truck into the opposite lane, where it struck two additional cars.
The victims were identified as P Arunagiri, aged 38, and his sister V Kalaiarasi, aged 40, both residents of Madheymangalam in Dharmapuri, who were on the motorcycle; P Dinesh, aged 30, from Salem, driving one of the cars; and S Munusamy, aged 43, from Namakkal, the driver of the fodder lorry en route from Mumbai. Three individuals died at the scene, while Dinesh was pronounced dead upon arrival at Government Dharmapuri Medical College Hospital, where autopsies were conducted.
According to Thoppur police investigations, the sequence began with the fodder lorry striking a truck, followed by impacts on the two-wheeler and a parcel truck. The parcel truck, carrying goods from Vellore to Tiruchy, then crossed into oncoming traffic and collided with two cars. Additionally, the fodder lorry rammed another truck loaded with dress materials from Punjab to Tiruppur.
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The injured include R Prabhakaran from Thanjavur, R Balakrishnan from Pudukkottai, Madhesh from Salem, who were passengers in affected vehicles, and Veera, aged 42, from Erode, assistant to Munusamy, all sustaining minor injuries. Authorities are interrogating Veera to determine precise details of the crash. A report from the Dharmapuri Regional Transport Officer attributes the accident to alleged negligence by the lorry driver, as conveyed to the National Highways Authority of India.
Dharmapuri Collector R Sadheesh inspected the site alongside officials and noted the occurrence despite implemented road safety enhancements in the Thoppur ghat section. Plans are underway to designate separate lanes for two-wheelers in high-risk areas to mitigate future incidents. The tragedy highlights ongoing challenges in ensuring safety on this busy highway stretch.
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