High speed Crash kills Sanath Nishantha, constable

• His injured driver, was implicated of reckless driving on earlier occasions
• The jeep heading towards Colombo from Katunayake collided with a container truck when trying to overtake it 

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya   
Police suspect that high speed and loss of control of the vehicle may have caused the pre-dawn fatal accident yesterday on the Katunayake Expressway, where state minister Sanath Nishantha and his security officer died.   

The jeep heading towards Colombo from Katunayake collided with a container vehicle when trying to overtake it, and swerved off the road crashing onto the safety fence with state minister Sanath Nishantha, a police constable on board along with the driver.   
The accident occurred as the state minister was returning to his Colombo residence after attending two weddings, one in Kurunegala and the other in Chilaw.   
Sanath Nishantha has residences in Colombo and Arachchikattuwa, with his wife and four children residing in the Colombo residence. The state minister was en route to his home in Colombo.   
The state minister occupied the front passenger seat, while his security officer, Constable Jayakodi (72542), was in the rear seat. The Land Cruiser V8 type jeep sustained severe damage in the accident.   

It was reported that a group of people who had arrived at the scene had made great efforts to rescue the victims trapped in the wreckage of the ill-fated vehicle.    The minister, the constable, and the driver, all seriously injured, were admitted to the Colombo North Teaching Hospital (Ragama).   
Hospital Director Dr. Liyanage Ranaweera confirmed that both the minister and the constable succumbed to their injuries upon admission to the hospital. He said the state minister’s death was caused due to multiple injuries and external bleeding.   
Following the accident, the Welisara Magistrate visited Ragama Hospital and conducted a magisterial inquest. The state minister’s brother Jagath Samantha Perera identified the minister’s body and provided evidence.   
The container driver was arrested in connection with the accident, while the jeep’s driver is receiving treatment at the hospital under police custody.    The Kandana Police are conducting further 
investigations.