The incident happened near Mettumarudhur on the Tiruchy-Karur state highway road, when their bike hit a tractor while overtaking it. All the three were thrown off the bike and sustained severe injuries.

On witnessing the incident, passers-by called up an ambulance and sent them to the Kulithalai Government Hospital. Doctors there declared Matheswaran dead on arrival. Saravanan and Soundarya are undergoing treatment. The tractor driver identified as Dharmaraj (34), a resident KR Puram in Karur, is absconding. Kulithalai police have filed a case and are on the lookout for him.

Meanwhile, a 50-year-old trader was found dead under suspicious circumstance at a paddy field near Thuvakudi in Tiruchy district on Saturday.

Natarajan from Sangiliyandapuram was found hanging with his hands tied. On receiving information, police rushed to the spot, retrieved the body and sent it for post-mortem. They suspect whether it was a murder for gain. Enquiries have revealed that Natarajan was upset for the past two days after he suffered losses in his business. Further investigations are underway.