The crash occurred at about 6.50 a.m. at the 66th Mile marker on the Kottarakara‑Dindigul National Highway, when a KSRTC bus traveling from Kumily toward Kottayam failed to negotiate a curve and hit a car carrying a five‑member family from Pathanamthitta.
The deceased was identified as Sali Thomas, 71, of Mylapra in Pathanamthitta district. Police said the car was on its way to Velankanni from Kumbazha when the collision happened.
Inside the car were Alexander, his wife Mercy, their daughter Angela and two relatives, also named Mercy and Sali. Alexander, who was driving, sustained minor injuries; the other occupants escaped unharmed.
According to investigators, after the impact the KSRTC driver did not stop immediately, continuing for about a kilometre before halting the bus at Chottupara. The police have registered a case against the driver on charges of rash and negligent driving.
Sali Thomas’s body was taken to a hospital for a post‑mortem examination. The incident has prompted local authorities to review safety protocols for buses navigating the winding sections of the highway.