Three killed when car strikes scooter near Kochi airport

Two women and a man died in a collision near Nedumbassery in India's Kerala state early on October 11. Police registered a criminal case against the driver of a car that allegedly struck their scooter from behind.

Police said the car struck the scooter from behind at about 1:45 a.m. in Moozhiyal, on the Airport-Athani Road near Nedumbassery. The impact threw the riders off their vehicle. Officers alleged that the car had been travelling at high speed.

The victims included Gopika from Mannarkkad in Palakkad district, Devika from Wayanad and a man from Karnataka. All three worked at an antique shop in Thrikkakara and were returning from a shop, according to The Hindu's account. Gopika was taken to the Angamaly Taluk Hospital, while the others were taken to a private hospital near Aluva. All three were declared dead.

Police took the car's driver and his passenger into custody. A case against the driver was registered under Section 105 of India's Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, covering culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The Hindu and The New Indian Express reported the collision, citing police. The allegation of speeding and the registration of the case do not establish the driver's guilt.