Road race between two luxury vehicles has claimed the life of an elderly man at Kottekkad, near Thrissur. Four others have been critically injured in the accident and are undergoing treatment.
The police have arrested Sherin Neelankavail, 28, of Ayyanthole, who was driving the Mahindra Thar that caused the accident on Wednesday night. Two others who were with Sherin in the vehicle fled the scene. According to the police, Sherin was in an inebriated state. Cases were registered against him for drunken driving and culpable homicide.
The accident happened around 10 p.m. The four-wheeler, which was indulging in a road race with a BMW car, hit a taxi car coming from the opposite direction. The Mahindra Thar was registered in the name of one Raisa Ummar in Guruvayur.
The deceased has been identified as Ravi Sankar, 67, of Ramya Nivas, Padukkad. His wife, Maya, daughter Vidya, granddaughter Gayathri and taxi driver Rajan who were critically injured have been undergoing treatment in a hospital. The family was returning from Guruvayur after temple darshan.
According to local residents, both the vehicles involved in the race were moving at lightning speed. The police have launched a manhunt for the two persons who have fled the scene.
Local residents have complained that the two vehicles had been racing on the route for the last few days.
