The car was totally mangled, police said (Representational)
Three engineering students died Monday when a car, allegedly driven at a speed of over 160 km, hit a road divider and rammed into a municipal garbage truck in Guntur district, police said.
Four other students and the driver and cleaner of the truck were also injured in the accident at Lalpuram, they said.
The students have been identified as Sadineni Dhanush, Gunturu Koteswara Rao and Ch Sairam, second year engineering students at RVR and JC College of Engineering.
Their injured classmates were admitted to the Government General Hospital in Guntur city, police said.
The victims were 20 years old, police said. "The car was cruising at a speed of 165-170 kmph. It first hit the road divider and then rammed into the municipal sanitation truck proceeding ahead," Additional Superintendent of Police YT Naidu said.
The car was totally mangled, he said. The truck overturned after the car hit it and the driver and the cleaner suffered injuries.
They were also treated in the hospital, police added. The students started off for Vijayawada from their college apparently to take part in New Year's Day celebrations.