At least five people were killed in separate road accidents across Sri Lanka on Dec. 31, police said, as multiple fatal crashes involving motorcycles were reported from several police divisions.
In the first incident, a 44-year-old man was killed in a collision between a motorcycle and a lorry on the Kurunegala–Puttalam road in the Hirigolla area within the Wariyapola police division. Police said the lorry, traveling from Kurunegala toward Puttalam, struck the motorcycle coming from the opposite direction. The motorcyclist, a resident of Nagollagama, died after being admitted to the Wariyapola hospital. The lorry driver was arrested.
In a second accident reported from the Muttur police division, a 21-year-old motorcyclist was killed after his motorcycle collided with a tipper truck near the Kunguveli junction on the Nilaveli–Dehiwatta road. Police said the motorcyclist and two pillion riders were seriously injured and taken to the Kinniya hospital, where the rider, a resident of Dehiwatta, was pronounced dead. The tipper truck driver was taken into custody.
Another fatal crash was reported from the Chilaw police division, where a 23-year-old man died after his motorcycle collided with a tractor on the Bangadeniya–Anamaduwa road in the Kumarakattuwa area. Police said the victim, a resident of Bangadeniya, succumbed to his injuries after being admitted to the Halawatha hospital.
In the Peliyagoda police division, a 48-year-old woman was killed after a lorry struck a motorcycle while attempting to overtake it near the Pattiya junction on the Colombo–Biyagama road. Police said both the rider and the woman, who was traveling as a pillion passenger, were seriously injured and admitted to the Colombo National Hospital, where the woman later died. The lorry driver was arrested.
In a fifth incident reported from the Puttalam police division, a motorcyclist was killed after his motorcycle was struck by an ambulance on the Puttalam–Kurunegala road in the Mallankulama area. Police said the victim died after being admitted to the Puttalam hospital. His identity has not yet been confirmed.
The Sri Lanka Police said investigations are continuing into all the incidents. (Newswire)