Five dead, 10 injured in lorry, van crash

Jayampathy JAYASINGHE

Five persons were killed and 10 wounded when a lorry crashed head on with a van at Medalanda on the Colombo - Kurunegala road yesterday.

Polgahawela police said the dead included two women and three men. Meanwhile, the injured have been admitted to the Polgahawela and Kurunegala government hospitals.

The accident occurred around 7.30.a.m. yesterday at Medalanda when a Dolphin passenger van proceeding towards Colombo ploughed into a lorry travelling in the opposite direction towards Kurunegala.

The driver of the Dolphin passenger van S.R.K. Samarakon Bandara from Pothuhera succumbed to his injuries. The lorry driver has been taken into custody. Police said the accident was a result of vehicles being driven at excessive speed. The Dolphin passenger van was badly damaged , police said.

The deceased were identified as Manjula Samaraweera, 29, a nurse from Kurunegala, Ashoka Malkanthi, Asela Madushan, 13, and B. Sirisena, 60 of Polgahawela. The Number of the van is 250 - 0179 and the lorry 42 - 6891