Woman and son killed, daughter injured as truck hits them

Madurai: A mother and her son were killed after being struck by a speeding truck while attempting to cross the road in the Koodal Pudur area during the early hours of Friday. The woman's 14-year-old daughter sustained injuries and is currently under treatment.The victims have been identified as Sharmila, 42, an employee at a local petrol bunk, and her son Pagal Babu, 18.Police sources said that the family was reportedly heading to Salem to attend a family function. The trio left their residence around 5am and were walking towards a nearby bus stop to catch a ride to Arapalayam, from where they planned to board a bus to Salem.As they attempted to cross the Koodal Pudur Main Road, an unidentified heavy vehicle, later said to be a truck, ploughed into them at high speed and sped away without stopping.Sharmila died on the spot due to the impact of the collision. Local residents who witnessed the horrific accident immediately alerted the authorities. Police personnel rushed to the scene and shifted the two injured children to the hospital.However, Babu succumbed to his injuries while en route. The daughter, Deepasree, is currently undergoing intensive care for injuries at Govt Rajaji Hospital.The traffic investigative wing two has registered a case and is scanning CCTV footage from the stretch to identify the vehicle and apprehend the driver.