The accident took place around 11.40pm at Panambikkunnu in Kaipamangalam, when the car, travelling from Guruvayur towards Kodungallur, rammed into the Maharashtra-registered lorry.
According to the FIR, the lorry had been parked illegally on the right side of the highway near a barricaded stretch where traffic had been diverted because of ongoing construction work.
Police said the car was travelling at high speed and its driver apparently failed to notice the diversion barricade before hitting the stationary lorry.
Six students died at the spot, while two others were declared dead on arrival at a nearby hospital. All the deceased were engineering students from a college in Dindigul and were travelling towards Kodungallur along NH-66.
The deceased have been identified as Surya, Yuvasanjith, Joshua, Murali, Jeeva, Santhosh, Prasanna and Vishva. Five of them—Surya, Yuvasanjith, Joshua, Murali and Jeeva—were from Dindigul, while Santhosh and Prasanna hailed from Madurai and Vishva was from Salem.
The mangled vehicle had to be cut open during a rescue operation involving local residents, fire and rescue personnel and police. The bodies were subsequently shifted to the mortuary at Thrissur Medical College.
Kaipamangalam police registered a case against the lorry driver under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for culpable homicide. The driver fled the scene soon after the accident and is currently absconding, police said.
Families of the victims were contacted with the help of student identity cards recovered from the vehicle. Police said some of the families were unaware that their children had travelled to Kerala.
According to relatives, Santhosh had recently purchased a car and the group had planned a trip to Kochi. Since the registration process for the car had not been completed, they hired another vehicle for the journey.
Postmortem examinations were conducted at Thrissur Medical College, where relatives gathered to receive the bodies. Hospital authorities arranged ambulances to transport the bodies to their respective native places.
Thrissur Rural District Police Chief Mohammad Nadeemuddin said a preliminary investigation pointed to the lorry driver’s fault.
“It is definitely a mistake on the part of the lorry driver. An FIR has already been registered. Additionally, regarding the highway authorities and the contractor, we will inspect that as part of the investigation and take strict action,” he told reporters.
Nadeemuddin said the lorry driver was absconding, but the vehicle owner had been identified and the driver would be apprehended soon.
He said a Highway Police patrol unit had been deployed in the area, but lorry drivers frequently parked their vehicles and left the spot.
“Definitely, parking should not be done here. We will check whether the highway authorities and contractors have installed proper signboards. But as per the preliminary assessment, this is a mistake on the part of the lorry driver,” he said.
The police chief said the Kodungallur deputy superintendent of police had been assigned to investigate the case.
“Legal action has been initiated, and an FIR has already been registered. Given the gravity of the case, we have designated the deputy SP of Kodungallur as the investigating officer. There will be a thorough investigation, and immediate and strict action will be taken against whoever is at fault. Necessary preventive measures will be taken by the police,” he said.
The investigation will examine the circumstances surrounding the fatal collision, including the lorry’s parking, the highway diversion and the availability of proper signboards, while police continue efforts to apprehend the absconding driver.
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