Thrissur: Days after the tragic lorry accident that claimed the lives of five people, including children, the cleaner of the vehicle confessed that his drowsy driving led to the crash. He told police that he dozed off for 20 seconds due to liquor intoxication while driving through the National Highway in Thrissur's Nattika on November 26.

Cleaner Alex and driver Jose, both from Kannur, have been remanded in judicial custody. Police have filed culpable homicide charges against the duo over the accident.

"I dozed off for 20 seconds, and the vehicle rammed into some objects. When I heard the screams of people, I took the lorry to the service road and tried to flee from the spot. Although I knew how to drive, I was not interested in getting a driving license," Alex told the police.

According to the remand report, drunken driving led to the accident.
Ramesh, who was injured in the accident, said that after the vehicle ran over people who were sleeping on the road, it moved forward, then reversed and crushed the victims to death.

Although the accused tried to flee from the scene, locals who blocked the vehicle apprehended them and handed them over to the police.
Police said that the drunken lorry workers initially did not cooperate with the interrogation. However, they confessed to the crime the next day, once their intoxication had worn off.

The lorry, which was carrying timber from Kannur, met with the accident around 4:45 AM on Tuesday. Jose and Alex had consumed alcohol after stopping the vehicle at Mahe. When the vehicle reached Ponnani, cleaner Alex decided to drive the lorry, as Jose, who was highly intoxicated, had fallen asleep. The accident occurred when Alex rammed the vehicle into barricades on the under-construction National Highway without noticing the diversion board.

The deceased were Kaliyappan (50), Nagamma (39), Bangazhi (20), Jeevan (4), and Viswa (1), all from Govindapuram in Palakkad. The bodies of all five were handed over to their relatives for the last rites on Tuesday itself.