Five people, including two toddlers, were killed and eight others were injured in a multi-vehicle crash at Dharmapuram in Nagari mandal on Friday. According to Nagari circle inspector BN Suresh, a cement bulker collided with a mini-truck that was parked on the road where a group of workers were carrying out painting works on the Chittoor-Tirupati National Highway close to Vadamalapeta check post. The initial collision triggered a series of crashes as the out-of-control truck rammed into an oncoming two-wheeler, a car and even mowed down the workers.
Natives of Mettapalem in Nagari mandal, Bhupalan (31), his wife Lilavati, children Nitin (4) and Umesh (2) were travelling on the bike when the accident occurred. Only Lilavati escaped with some injuries and was shifted to a hospital in Tirupati. One of the four workers, identified as Kannan (38) from Vellore, also lost his life. Three other workers sustained serious injuries. Besides, four people travelling in a car sustained minor injuries.
Police rushed to the scene and shifted the injured persons to hospitals in Nagari and Tirupati. They registered a case and took the driver, Sridharan, into custody. The bulker truck, en route to Chennai from Kadapa, was loaded with 40 tonnes of cement
