Idukki: A 38-year-old man was killed, and two others sustained serious injuries after a car carrying a five-member family, including a child, plunged into a river in Idukki on Thursday morning.

The deceased was identified as Ernest D (38), the driver of the vehicle and a native of Vellarada in Thiruvananthapuram.

The injured, Divya Jyothi (29) and Navya Jyothi (26), were admitted to the Peerumedu Government Taluk Hospital before being shifted to a private hospital in Kottayam for advanced treatment. Another passenger, Ajin (36), is undergoing treatment at the Peerumedu Hospital, while five-year-old Johan escaped with minor injuries.

The accident occurred at around 6.30 am on the Kattappana–Kuttikkanam stretch of the highway between Chappathu and Erumbadam, near the Karintharuvi Government UP School.

Police said the car, which was travelling from Thiruvananthapuram to Kattappana, went out of control, veered off the road and plunged nearly 60 feet into the Chinnar River.

The vehicle was found partially submerged in the river. Two migrant workers employed at a nearby brick kiln, along with local residents who heard the crash sound, rushed to the scene and rescued the occupants.

Ernest, who suffered critical injuries in the accident, was taken to the Peerumedu Government Taluk Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

The Upputhara police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the accident.

Meanwhile, local residents alleged that the absence of crash barriers along the roadside, coupled with sharp bends and pothole-ridden stretches, contributed to the severity of the crash.