11 Fatalities in Sri Lankan streets in a 24-hour window; 10 injured

Colombo (News 1st);  Fatal accidents during a 24-hour window claimed the lives of 11 people and injured 10 more. 

05 people died just after 04:00 AM on Saturday (22) in a traffic collision involving a Tipper Truck and a Car at the Ihala-Walakumbura area along the Alawwa – Kurunegala main road. 

Sri Lanka Police said reckless driving of the driver of car was the cause for the fatal accident. 

A sand-filled Tipper Truck was heading towards Colombo at the time and the car was travelling at excessive speed in the opposite direction, said Sri Lanka Police. 

05 people were in the car at the time of the collision and all 05 of them died on impact. 

The victims were identified as those between the ages of 22 and 25 and were employed as part of the work crew involved in surveying the Wada’-kada - Polgahawela sector on the Central Expressway. 

The bodies were first moved to the Alawwa Hospital and thereafter were transferred to the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital for the post-mortem examination. 

Elsewhere, 03 people died when a van veered off into a precipice in Rawana-Ella on the Ella – Wellawaya Road. 

Sri Lanka Police said the van plunged in to a 500 feet deep precipice and three others were injured in the accident. 

The injured and the dead were taken out of the crushed van following a coordinated and valiant effort by the locals, Sri Lanka Police and Sri Lanka Army personnel. 

The victims and the injured were identified as those employed at the Badulla Office of the Ceylon Electricity Board. 

The injured were admitted to the Sirigala, Badulla and Wellawaya Hospitals. 

Over in Thambuttegama 07 people were injured when a pick-up truck attempted to cross a railway cross in Payindikulama and was knocked down by the speeding Nigh Mail train bound to Colombo from Mannar. 

Sri Lanka Police said the gate at the railway cross was not properly closed at the time of the collision.  

02 of the injured were admitted to the Thambuttegama Hospital while the 05 others were rushed to the Anuradhapura Hospital. 

The collision however, did not delay train operations. 

Over in Divulapitiya, a woman who was cross the street died after she was knocked down by a motorcycle on the Negombo – Divulapitiya Road. 

The victim was a 65-year-old from Udugampila and her remains were moved to the Negombo Hospital morgue. 

The motorcyclist was arrested for causing the accident. 

Another accident took place in Kadan-goda, when a motor cycle collided with a lorry, claiming the life of the motorcyclist. 

The deceased was identified as a 38-year-old resident of Kuruwita.  

The driver of the lorry was arrested following the accident. 

Another accident took place on Friday (21) night, when a motorcycle veered off the road, near the Udumulla vihara in Padukka, claiming the life of the 27-year-old motor cyclist.