The investigation into the Nedumbassery accident that killed three motorcycle riders is now focusing on CCTV footage after experts failed to establish the car’s speed from its event data recorder. The Motor Vehicles Department has reported that the vehicle had no mechanical defect that caused the crash, while finding that its silencer had been illegally modified.
The crash occurred at Athani in Nedumbassery when a car driven by a young man who was allegedly under the influence of alcohol hit the three motorcycle riders. The victims died in the incident, which is being investigated by the police and the Motor Vehicles Department.
Police and experts from the car manufacturer collected and analysed information from the vehicle’s event data recorder, or EDR. However, the data did not establish the speed of the car at the moment it hit the motorcycle, according to the report submitted to the police and the Motor Vehicles Department.
With the EDR unable to provide the required speed information, investigators are examining CCTV recordings from the area where the crash occurred. The footage is expected to help the police assess the vehicle’s movement and determine its speed before the collision. The CCTV-led investigation is continuing.
The Joint Regional Transport Officer at Angamaly reported to the police that the inspection did not identify a mechanical failure or another vehicle-related problem as the cause of the crash. The Motor Vehicles Department’s examination did, however, find that the car’s silencer had been modified to produce a loud sound while the vehicle was being driven at high speed.
The distinction between a mechanical failure and an illegal alteration may be significant for the investigation because the transport department’s inspection has not attributed the crash to a malfunction in the car. The police are continuing to assess the vehicle’s operation, the circumstances before the collision and the available visual evidence.
The case has also involved a dispute over the custody of the accused. Authorities at the Kakkanad Borstal School had sought to move the accused to Viyyur Central Jail. The Angamaly magistrate court rejected that request, and the accused were not transferred on the basis of the application.
The next major step in the investigation is the analysis of CCTV footage from the crash zone. Police will use the available recordings alongside the EDR findings and the Motor Vehicles Department report as they continue investigating the fatal collision.
