Police bus kills woman on pedestrian crossing

Manjula Fernando and Rafik Jalaldeen

COLOMBO: A Traffic Police bus dispatching duty officers lost control near the Borella junction yesterday killing a mother and injuring her two children on the pedestrian crossing, while they were on their way to school.

The bus had been plying from Narahenpita towards Borella when the incident occurred around 7.30 a.m, near the British school, Borella.

Another woman who was also injured in the incident was admitted to the hospital but her condition is stable, doctors said.

The mother, admitted in a unconscious state with severe head injuries succumbed around 4.30 p.m.

"The other three are out of danger," Accident Service Director Dr. Anil Jasinghe said.

An Accident Service employee said the woman was taken directly to the resuscitation room in a critical state and transferred to the High Defensive Unit where she died later.

The boy aged eight has suffered head injuries while the girl aged 12 is left with a fractured hand and a leg.

SSP Colombo Traffic M. Lafir said the bus was dispatching traffic officers on routine duty and had been travelling from Narahenpita towards Kanatta junction when the accident occurred.

It had lost control and run over the four pedestrians crossing the road, crashing into a nearby van. "The Borella police are conducting further investigations and the driver was remanded till September 6," SSP Lafir said.

Eyewitnesses said the police driver abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene after seeing the injured.