Kochi — A 55-year-old man was killed early on Sunday, October 25, after a luxury car allegedly driven by a 17-year-old boy rammed the scooter he was riding on Container Road at Cheranalloor in Ernakulam, The Hindu reported. The deceased has been identified as Jayabalakrishnan of Chittur, Cheranalloor.

Source: The Hindu

According to the report, the accident occurred around 2.20 a.m. near a car showroom at Maraparambu on Container Road. The teenager, who lives in Aluva, was reportedly travelling alone from Vallarpadam towards Kalamassery when the car hit the scooter, which was moving in the same direction. Jayabalakrishnan reportedly died on the spot.

The Cheranalloor police have taken the minor driver into custody. Police have registered a case against the driver on charges of rash driving and a rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide, The Hindu said. Hindustan Times reported the car was a Mercedes-Benz. The minor has not been named, in line with the protections for children in conflict with the law.

The Hindu reported that the minor is reportedly the son of a senior judge, and that the car is registered in the name of Reno Francis Xavier, First Additional District Judge of the Irinjalakuda Magistrate Court. These details are as reported by the newspaper and have not been independently established in court.

Relatives told the media that Jayabalakrishnan was running an eatery at Chittur. The fatal crash comes days after the Nedumbassery accident in Kochi, in which three youths were killed after an allegedly over-speeding luxury car driven by a 19-year-old rammed a two-wheeler from behind — a sequence that has renewed public debate in Kerala about underage and dangerous driving, according to reports.

Source: Hindustan Times via MyPressToday

Police findings, witness accounts and CCTV footage are expected to establish the sequence of the collision and whether further charges are needed, reports said. The investigation is under way and the allegations have not been proved in court.