An elderly woman employed with the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme was killed after being run over by a car that lost control at Cherunniyoor in Varkala on Friday. The accident happened near Palathara Caliyapalli. Santha, a resident of Cheruniyoor, who was moved to the Government Medical College, Kollam, later succumbed to her injuries.

Eyewitnesses said that they heard a crashing sound and saw a car hurtling across a narrow road. "She was sitting by the roadside in front of a house after completing today's work. We heard the sound and screamed at her to move away, but by then the car ran over her," said Haseena, one of the workers. Haseena said that Santha has been part of their group for over a year. "We had all completed the day's work of cleaning a canal. We were about to leave when the accident happened. She was feeling tired and she said she wanted to rest for a while," Haseena added.

The driver of the car, who is yet to be identified, told the residents that he lost control of the car and that the brakes didn't function. "From what he told us, the car was coming down a slope, and there was a slight curve where the brake failed, and the car veered off the narrow road. She was stuck under the car, and we had to struggle to get her out," said Shibu, a resident.