Kochi Mini Cooper crash: BMW report confirms car hit victims at 144 kmph after slowing from 162 kmph

Kochi: The Mini Cooper that fatally knocked down three youngsters at Nedumbassery last month was travelling at around 144 kmph at the moment of impact, having slowed down from 162 kmph in the preceding five seconds, a technical examination by the vehicle manufacturer BMW has confirmed.

The car’s speed had dropped from 162 kmph to around 144 kmph by the time it hit the victims, and the brake pedal was applied only about a second before the collision, according to the report submitted to the investigation team on Thursday. The data, retrieved from the car's Advanced Crash Safety Module (ACSM), were analysed by the vehicle manufacturer after the police sent the vehicle's crash-recording system for examination.

The report corroborates the police investigation, which had earlier established through CCTV footage that the car covered nearly 500 metres in just 11 seconds. The manufacturer’s technical assessment provides scientific backing to the investigators’ findings on the vehicle’s speed.

The accident occurred around 1:45 am on October 11. The Nedumbassery police arrested four 19-year-olds in connection with the incident. They are Suhail Sajeev, who allegedly drove the car under the influence of alcohol, and his three co-passengers, Ninav, Ameen Sha and Joyal S. All four accused remain in judicial custody.

The police had earlier claimed to have obtained visuals showing Sajeev driving the car at nearly 160 kmph shortly before the accident. The footage was reportedly recorded on a mobile phone by one of the co-passengers.

The technical findings, particularly the speed at impact and the timing of the braking, are expected to constitute crucial evidence in establishing the sequence of events leading to the crash.

The investigation is continuing into the circumstances surrounding the accident, including the driver’s response in the moments before the collision and the role of the other accused. The probe is being led by Aluva DySP Baiju Paulose under the supervision of Ernakulam Rural District Police Chief K S Sudarshan.

A chemical examination report, according to sources, found that Sajeev had consumed alcohol at five times the permissible limit for driving. The Excise Department subsequently suspended the licences of three bars for allegedly serving liquor to an underage person.

The case had triggered widespread controversy over underage drinking, the alleged supply of liquor to the teenagers and the circumstances in which the Mini Cooper was driven at such high speed.