Kozhikode: The winding road with ups and downs on the Kozhikode-Thrissur national highway on the Thenhipalam stretch is notorious for recurring fatal accidents.
According to data collected from Thenhipalam police station, the number of accidents on the National Highway is increasing alarmingly each year. This year so far one person was killed and 27 persons injured in 28 accidents.
A total of 45 persons were killed and hundreds left with grievous injuries in the last four years.
It has been five years after veteran Malayalam actor Jagathy Sreekumar was injured badly in a major car accident on March 9, 2012 at Panambra near the Calicut University at Thenhipalam.
The next year, the stretch witnessed 82 accidents which killed 8 persons and left nearly 80 persons injured. In 2014, the total number of accidents increased to 95, killing 8 and injuring more than 90 persons. 2015 saw a major leap in accidents which crossed the hundred mark, and 13 were killed while more than 100 were grievously injured in 108 accidents. The year 2016 saw a slight decrease in the accidents – 94 – which led to 16 dying and 78 being injured.
Sub Inspector of police, Thenhipalam, Kannankutty.T told DC that accidents mostly occured in Chelambra, Kakkanchery and Panambra. “Over-speeding vehicles are the major reason for accidents. All vehicles are causing accidents in the area while cars and motor cycles constitute the most. Youngsters are involved in a majority of accidents”, he said. “The police are working efficiently to curtail the accidents in the area. We conduct awareness programmes and also carry out frequent vehicle checking in order to bring down accidents”, he added.
