Tension prevailed at Pathukannu on Thursday (September 25, 2025) morning when irate residents staged a road blockade after a tipper lorry fatally knocked down a college student and injured his friend while they were travelling on a motorbike.

Renjith, 18, a resident of Sellipet and second-year engineering student of a private engineering college at Moolakulam, was killed when his bike was hit by a tipper lorry. He died on the spot. His friend, who was riding pillion, sustained injuries and was admitted to a hospital.

Agitated over the incident, angry residents blocked the road and vandalised the lorry. The residents said heavy vehicles such as trucks are not allowed to enter the area before 10 a.m. There was no police presence at the junction to regulate traffic, said a resident.

“It has become routine for tipper lorries to ply in the area despite a ban on their entry during morning hours. The violations by such vehicles have become an everyday affair. There are no checks even on private buses violating speed limits in the area,” he said.