Showroom employee charred to death in Coimbatore after car catches fire in accident

Coimbatore: A car showroom employee was charred to death after a test drive car he was travelling in, rammed a steel pipe and caught fire at Thirumalayampalayam in Coimbatore district on Wednesday night.The deceased has been identified as N Vimal Raj, 22, of Kovaipudur. He was employed at a car showroom near Saibaba Colony.On Wednesday, Vimal and his colleague V Akash, 22, took the car to a mela organised by the showroom at Ettimadai in Coimbatore district. After the event they picked up Akash's friend K Murali, 24, and were returning to the showroom when the accident took place. Akash was driving the car, while Vimal was sitting in the front passenger seat and Murali was in the rear seat. "Preliminary investigation revealed that the three had consumed alcohol after the mela. When they reached Ettimadai junction, they hit a two-wheeler and fled from the place. The car then moved to Thirumalaiyampalayam Road at a high speed. Akash subsequently lost control of the vehicle and rammed a steel pipe which was on the roadside. The car caught fire in the impact," said a police officer. He added that while Akash and Murali managed to escape, Vimal got trapped inside the burning car. A case has been registered, and an investigation is on.