T’puram: A 26-year-old man was killed, and seven others injured after a KSRTC bus driver lost control and rammed a car at Neyyattinkara on Tuesday morning. The deceased was identified as Arun Krishnan, of Chaykottukonam, who was driving the car. The accident occurred around 8am when the bus operating on Thiruvananthapuram-Neyyattinkara route collided head-on with Krishnan’s car coming from the opposite direction. After the impact, the bus veered off the road and crashed into a nearby bus stop before coming to a halt. The car was completely mangled in the collision, trapping Krishnan inside. Personnel from Neyyattinkara fire and rescue services and police rushed to the spot and extricated him. He was immediately shifted to Neyyattinkara general hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Seven passengers travelling on the bus sustained injuries and were admitted to various govt and private hospitals in the area. Their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. The accident and the rescue operation led to heavy traffic congestion on the busy stretch for nearly two hours. Preliminary investigations indicate that the bus was travelling at high speed and that the driver may have dozed off at the wheel, causing him to lose control of the vehicle. Police said further inquiries are under way to ascertain the exact cause of the crash.
