A 42-year-old motorcyclist was killed after long iron pipes and rods loaded on a pickup van crashed through the vehicle’s cabin and fell on him at Kuttanellur in Thrissur on Friday.

The victim was identified as Sherin John, son of Joseph of Pattathanam, Kuttanellur.

Sherin was travelling from Thrissur towards Kuttanellur when an autorickshaw ahead of him suddenly swerved. He slammed on the brakes, prompting the pickup van travelling immediately behind him to do the same.

The sudden application of brake sent the unsecured load of long iron pipes and rods on the pickup van surging forward. The pipes, some nearly 10 metres long, shot over the cabin and crashed onto Sherin.

Passers-by and security personnel from the nearby mall rushed to his aid and removed the heavy pipes before taking him to Jubilee Mission Hospital. He, however, succumbed to his injuries.

The pickup van driver fled the scene immediately after the accident. The Ollur police took the vehicle into custody and began an investigation.

The accident has once again raised questions about the unsafe transportation of construction materials on pickup vans and mini-trucks across Thrissur.

Other drivers and road users said the tragedy was the result of basic safety precautions being ignored. Once a vehicle is loaded, they pointed out, it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that the material is properly secured before the vehicle enters a busy road.

The pipes involved in Kuttanellur accident were particularly dangerous because of their length and tendency to slip, said the eyewitnesses. The law requires protruding loads to be secured and appropriately marked, but road users said even basic precautions are frequently ignored.

Published - August 21, 2026 08:12 pm IST