Seven people were injured on Friday when the car they were travelling met with an accident near Vadanappily in Thrissur district of Kerala.
The incident occurred at around 3 30 AM, said police.
The car was coming from Thiruvananthapuram and the passengers were pilgrims visiting Guruvayoor temple.
According to the police, it appeared that the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. The car had veered off to the opposite lane and collided with a national permit lorry.
Police said Fire Service officials had to cut open the mangled car to rescue the driver.
The injured were shifted to the nearby hospitals and their conditions are said to be stable.