Road accidents - speed the killer

Several fatal accidents occur as a result of driving under the influence of liquor or driving recklessly due to extreme fatigue. According to the Police Media Spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunesekera, highways have become death zones due to motorists not adhering to the highway code.

He said last week's accident at Tholangamuwa between the 63 and the 64th milepost at Warakapola was tragic and shocking. A private bus bearing No WPH 7,545 driven at excessive speed had mowed down two young Grade 7 students, a brother and a sister of the same family while they were on their way to school. They were walking on the side of the road when the bus knocked them down. Both students were from the Tholangamuwa Maha Vidyalaya and were from an impoverished family. The accident occurred on January 12 around 7 a.m. near the Tholangamuwa Madya Maha Vidyalaya.

A Kandy bound bus from Panadura while overtaking a container lorry ran off the road and knocked them down. After overtaking the container lorry at a terrible speed the bus veered off the road and ran into a paddy field. Villagers who rushed to the spot on hearing the loud impact found Madushani (12) crushed between the wheels of the bus in a paddy field close by. Several persons including the OIC Traffic Police Warakapola Inspector Kulatunga, who rushed to the spot, joined in the rescue effort and extricated the girl by using a crane. She was crushed under the wheels of the bus. She succumbed to her injuries while being rushed to the Warakapola Hospital. Her elder brother Supun (14) after being knocked down was found in the paddy field with both hands crushed. He was rushed to the Warakapola hospital in a critical condition. While the rescue operation was on some enraged persons set ablaze the bus. Meanwhile, the bus driver and the conductor were taken into custody by the Warakapola police.

The autopsy into the death of Madushani conducted by DMO Warakapola Dr. U.W.A. Premaratne stated that the death was due to injuries caused to the brain and the head. The inquest was conducted by the Inquirer into Sudden Deaths Mrs. E.A.S. Malkanthi. The bus driver R.P. Gamaini Dharmasiri of Gongitota, Wattala was produced before the Warakapola Magistrate and remanded till 16.1.2009.

The mother of the two deceased schoolchildren Mrs. H.N. Weerasinghe told police that her elder son Supun, her second daughter Madushani were on their way to the Tholangamuwa school on that fatal day. The accident happened around 6.50. a.m. She had watched them walking on the road and had seen them getting hit by the bus and thrown away.

Police Media Spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunesekera attributed several reasons for such fatal accidents. Over speeding, disregard for road users, failure to observe the highway code, and driving under the influence of liquor were the chief causes of fatal accidents. "Speed thrills, but kills". But how many motorists observe the highway code he asked." He said that also the multi user highways have contributed to several fatal accidents. Vehicles with high speeds have become lethal weapons in the hands of drunken and reckless drivers. Several pedestrians had been killed by drunken and hit and run drivers last year, he said.

Several fatal road accidents were reported last year. An executive, driving his vehicle with two other passengers ploughed into a SLCTB bus parked at the Udahamulle SLTB depot road, Nugegoda, fatally injuring him. However, the passenger who was seated in the front seat, escaped without injuries. OIC Traffic Mirihana Police, Sub Inspector R.K. Ratnasinghe said the accident took place around 3.45 a.m. on a weekend. The deceased was identified as one Terrance Seneviratne (23) an employee of a private company. The critically injured person was admitted to the National Hospital Colombo. Inspector Ratnasinghe said the Toyota vehicle was a complete wreck. Speeding was the main reason for the accident, said the OIC.

Last year, another tragic accident occurred at the Aturuwella bridge in the Bentota-Aluthgama Road. A van travelling at high speed towards Ambalangoda crashed head on to a bus travelling in the opposite direction killing eight passengers in the van and injuring scores of people travelling in the bus.

OIC Bentota Police Station, Inspector Duminda Rajapakse said eight persons including a child and the driver of the van were killed. The van driver failing to negotiate the bend had rammed into the bus. "He was probably under the influence of liquor." Four members of the same family along with four others died in the crash. Nineteen passengers in the bus sustained injuries. The injured were admitted to Balapitiya, Nagoda and the Bentota hospitals. Some persons were later transferred to the Colombo National Hospital.

Last year, a popular film and television actress met with an accident at Belummahara while travelling in her car.

The car collided with a passenger bus travelling on the Colombo-Kandy Road at Imbulgoda junction. The actress was rushed to the Ragama Hospital and was later transferred to the Incentive Care Unit (ICU). She was rushing to Kurunegala from Colombo to participate in an event. Although the car was reduced to matchwood, the actress and her chauffeur survived the accident.

A senior police officer attributed fatal motor accidents due to high excessive speeding and reckless driving. He said another cause was motorists do not obey traffic rules and regulations. Consumption of liquor and negligence are to be blamed," he said.