Four people were killed and four others seriously injured after a car carrying seven passengers collided with the rear of an omni bus near a petrol station in Perambalur district early on September 24, according to a report by Dinamalar – Tamil Nadu. The crash temporarily disrupted traffic on the Trichy–Chennai National Highway.
The collision occurred at about 2.30 am near the Thuraimangalam petrol station in Perambalur district. The car was travelling towards Chennai when it hit the rear of an A.V.K. omni bus that was moving ahead of it, the report said.
Three passengers—Karthi, 38, Prabhakaran, 30, and Kaliyaperumal, 25—died at the scene after sustaining severe injuries. The three were identified as residents of Pillaiyarkulam village in Ramanathapuram district and nearby areas, according to the source.
Four other passengers—Kannadasan, 22, Surya, 35, John Kennedy, 35, and Saranya, 23—were injured in the crash. They were admitted to government hospitals in Perambalur and Tiruchirappalli for treatment in critical condition. Surya later died during treatment, taking the death toll to four.
The seven passengers were travelling from Ramanathapuram district to Chennai in the car. The report identified them as residents of locations including Pillaiyarkulam, Mudukulathur, Devipattinam and Orivayal. The source did not provide further details about their travel purpose or the condition of the car after the collision.
Perambalur police registered a case and arrested the omni bus driver, Rajaseelan, 45, from the Nazareth area of Thoothukudi district. Police are questioning him in connection with the crash, Dinamalar reported. The report did not state the specific sections applied in the case or whether investigators had reached a final conclusion on the cause of the collision.
The accident blocked traffic on the Trichy–Chennai National Highway for about an hour. The omni bus was carrying 34 passengers from Thoothukudi to Chennai. All of them were moved to another bus and continued their journey, according to the report.
The crash has again drawn attention to the risks associated with overnight highway travel, particularly when drivers are fatigued. However, the source did not establish driver fatigue as the confirmed cause of this collision. The police investigation and questioning of the arrested driver are continuing.
