Kozhikode (Keralam) | A tree several feet down a gorge stopped a vegetable-laden pickup truck after it veered off the Kuttiyady ghat road in this district early on Thursday, saving the driver from a potentially fatal fall, police said.

According to officials, the accident occurred around 1 am near the first bend when the vehicle, coming from Chikkamagaluru in Karnataka and heading to Thrissur, lost control while descending the ghat road.

Police said the vehicle's brakes failed and the driver applied the handbrake to prevent it from hitting the bus in front.

The pickup truck, however, plunged into the gorge but got wedged against a tree, preventing it from falling further down.

The driver managed to climb out of the vehicle without sustaining any injuries, police said.

Efforts are underway to retrieve the vehicle using a crane.

Police personnel are regulating traffic to prevent any road blockade, officials added