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Borella accident: Driver remanded, vehicle owner granted bail
By Bhagya Silva
Colombo, July 29 (Daily Mirror) - Nimantha Senadeera, the driver of the tipper truck involved in the road accident that occurred in the Borella area on Monday (28) was ordered to be remanded till August 7 by the Colombo Additional Magistrate M.N Reezvan.
The Magistrate also ordered the release of the Malan Shri Fernando, the vehicle’s owner on a surety bail of Rs. 500,000.
The Borella Police informed the court that the accident took place around 7:45 a.m. on the 28th while the tipper truck was being brought from Kaduwela to remove a tree that was at risk of falling.
According to police, the driver lost control of the vehicle which then veered off and crashed into six motorcycles and three other vehicles. A 62-year-old motorcyclist died at the scene, while six others sustained serious injuries and were admitted to the Colombo National Hospital.
Among the injured are two officers attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC). Police stated that one of the CID officers had to have a leg amputated.
Presenting further evidence to court, the police told that a forensic medical report indicated the suspect driver had used cannabis at the time of the incident.
Presenting further evidence to court, police said that a forensic medical report indicated that the driver was under the influence of cannabis at the time of the incident.
Furthermore, the vehicle was inspected by three senior investigators from the Department of Motor Traffic, who confirmed that the braking system was faulty due to a lack of proper maintenance. Also police told court that the driver did not possess a valid heavy vehicle driving licence and had not submitted any formal training certificate.
Given the gravity of the accident and the resulting public outcry, Borella Police opposed bail for the driver citing potential public unrest if he were to be released.
Appearing on behalf of the suspect, Counsel Chinthaka Udadenie and Rohitha Deshapriya submitted that their client was an experienced driver with over three years of service and possessed a valid training certificate.
They also challenged the claim that the driver was under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident, stating that he had last used cannabis four days earlier and requested a new comprehensive medical test.
The counsel further stated that their two clients deeply regret the death and injuries caused and maintained that the accident was an unfortunate and unforeseeable event. Therefore, they requested the court to release the suspects on bail under any suitable conditions.
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