Drug test for driver who ran over Traffic OIC
The driver of the jeep which rammed into a police officer on a motorcycle at the Bambalapitiya Junction is being tested for drugs, as investigations continue into the incident.
The driver, Navindu Omesh Ratnayaka, 27, from Thalangama North, Malabe, is currently in remand custody. He had allegedly refused to be subjected to an examination by the Judicial Medical Officer after surrendering more than six hours following the incident.
Officer-in-Charge, Bambalapitiya Police Station, Sub Inspector R S K Ranasinghe said the suspect was submitted for a medical examination to ascertain whether he was under the influence of drugs at the time of the accident.
The move came as the police continue investigations by tracing where the jeep originally left and the locations it stopped at before the accident took place around 4.30 am.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) for Traffic, Ajith Rohana said that, soon after the incident was reported, they had deployed 20 teams to collect CCTV footage from various cameras, including those installed in a private capacity as well as those installed by the police.
The CCTV footage showed the Jeep, a white Defender, being driven at high speed approaching the Bambalapitiya– Duplication Road Junction and continuing towards Wellawatte running a red light.
The jeep tries to avoid hitting the police officer heading from Thunmulla Junction towards Galle Road, but fails, knocking him off the bike and running him over.
The jeep, thereafter, drives a few metres ahead, without offering to help take the victim to hospital, and turns on to a side road – Lauries Road – and stops.
“One of the persons in the jeep gets off and comes back to the scene of the accident and sees people helping to take the victim to hospital and walks back to the jeep before they drive off towards Thunmulla – Kanatta Junction, on to Parliament Road and to Pelawatte,” said DIG Rohana.
The vehicle was then parked at a house in Pagoda Gardens, Pelawatte, Battaramulla after its owner was informed that the vehicle had met with an accident and was to be parked until repairs were carried out. The driver of the vehicle, too, had stayed in the house.
Police had detected the vehicle, while CCTV footage also had shown the driver of the vehicle being accompanied from the house in the morning.
Police had thereafter informed the vehicle owner to surrender all persons who had been in the vehicle at the time of the accident, as well as the second vehicle which followed the jeep, on the grounds that they had failed to report the accident to the police.
Accordingly, the driver of the jeep and seven others had surrendered to the
The jeep tries to avoid hitting the police officer heading from Thunmulla Junction towards Galle Road, but fails, knocking him off the bike and running him over.
police. The other seven were Vijitha Shri Wijesekara and Ranesh Bandara Aluthgamage
(in the jeep involved in the accident) and Sesitha Randiv,
Vindya Weerasinghe, Duminda Attygalle, Mathew Denis and Dulanjana Chamara Dabare. All of them were remanded overnight and released on bail the following day while the driver was remanded until March 11.
The injured police officer, Traffic OIC Borella Police Station, Ananda Sagara Sarathchandra, is in the intensive care unit of the Colombo National Hospital. Director, Accident Service, National Hospital, Dr Samindi Samarakoon told the Sunday Times that the officer had suffered a couple of head injuries with internal hemorrhage and is in a serious condition.
The 51-year-old police officer has a service record of 30 years, eight of which are as Traffic OIC, Borella.
DIG Rohana said that there was a new culture emerging in the city, where persons drive around in Defenders at night, flashing lights and posing as security vehicles escorting VIP vehicles.
The two jeeps have been impounded at the Bambalapitiya Police Station pending further investigations by the Government Analyst and the Motor Traffic Department.