Motorcyclist dies after colliding with wild elephant

Thirappane Police said that a motorcyclist (34) died on last Friday in Muriyakadawala Junction on the Kandy-jaffna A9 Road after colliding with a wild elephant.

It is reported that although the victim was admitted to the Anuradapura Teaching Hospital with severe injuries, he succumbed to his injuries on the following day. The deceased was identified as J.m.dinesh Kananwatte (34) working as a clerk in the Nawalapitiya Magistrate Court and was travelling from his residence in Ambatenne to Mahamewna Asapuwa, Anuradapura to observe Sil on

Poya Day (8).

It is said that in a similar incident two Police Officers also had died after colliding with wild elephants in the past.

“The wild elephant that had collided has lost one of its tusks and it was found in the place where this accident occurred,” OIC of Thirappene Police IP Bandara Rathnayaka said.

A resident of the area Nalinda Rupasinghe said that he was residing in a nearby house where the accident had taken place and said that it was usual for the wild elephants to come from Nachchaduwa Tank reserve along the A9 Road and a name board had been fixed near the junction warning of the elephants crossing at that point.

However, he said that since the letters in the notice board were small in size, people failed to take notice of the warning. The resident said that it is necessary to fix a name board with large letters about the crossing of wild elephants which could minimise the accidents of such nature. The Thirappane Police are conducting further investigation.