Drunken Lecturer knocks down woman on pedestrian crossing
Maharagama Police said that luxury vehicle driven by a University Lecturer had knocked down a woman pedestrian at around 8.30 p.m. on March 1 after knocking against two trishaws in Arrawwala area in Maharagama-piliyandala bus route and against a motorcyclist travelling towards Maharagama from Piliyandala which had subsequently fallen into a nearby paddy field.
The deceased was identified as Danwaththa Liyanage Podinona (66) a resident of Sri Wijaya Mawatha, Ranketha Place, Arrawwala and the lecturer was under the influence of liquor at the time of the accident.
Eye witnesses of the area said that the vehicle had fallen into the paddy field after knocking down the motorbike rider who was thrown to the canal nearby. There was a heavy traffic block on Maharagama-piliyandala Road due to this accident.
Police said that the woman and the motorbike rider were rushed to the Kalubowila Hospital and the woman died on admission. A Hospital spokesman said that the motorbike rider is under treatment at the hospital for injuries to his leg and backbone. The Lecturer was arrested by Traffic Police who visited the scene of the accident and it was revealed by the medical test that the lecturer was under the influence of liquor. Police said that the Lecturer is the Head of the Science Faculty of Jayawardenapura University. He was scheduled to be produced before the Gangodawila Magistrate’s Courts, police said. Further Investigations are conducted by SI Buddika Abeykoon of Traffic Unit with PC Sameera (68975), PC Chinthaka (89256) and PC Wickramasinghe (86036) on the instructions of OIC of Maharagama Police, T. S. Meedin.