Thrissur crash: Preliminary probe points to intoxicant use, local brawl by TN students

Thrissur (Kerala): Preliminary findings indicate that the engineering students who died in a fatal road crash at Kaipamangalam had consumed alcohol and intoxicants prior to the collision. Dr Hitesh Shankar, Head of the Forensic Department at Thrissur Medical College, who led the post-mortem examinations, stated that initial assessments suggest the deceased students were under the influence of alcohol.

Samples have been dispatched to the laboratory for further detailed chemical analysis, which will confirm the exact nature of the substances involved. Tests are also underway to check for the presence of synthetic drugs.

Meanwhile, reports reveal that the group was involved in a heated argument and a physical brawl with locals at a hotel in Thalikulam shortly before the accident. Upon learning that the Vadanappally police were en route after being alerted to the altercation, the group sped away in their car.

The tragic incident occurred around midnight on Saturday at Panambikkunnu Centre along the National Highway in Kaipamangalam. The car, carrying students from PSNA College of Engineering in Dindigul, rammed into the rear of a goods lorry wrongly parked by the roadside. The impact completely wrecked the vehicle, requiring emergency personnel to cut open the metal frame to extricate the occupants. The car was reportedly travelling at high speed along a straight stretch of road after descending an incline.