A tragic accident was reported earlier today (06) in Doluwa, Gampola, where three women lost their lives after being hit by a car.

Police suspect that the cause of the accident was the reckless driving of a woman who was behind the wheel of the vehicle involved.

The victims were among a group of four elderly women from Doluwa who were attempting to cross the road after attending a religious ceremony at around 1:30 p.m.

Police stated a car approaching from behind struck all four women and then collided with a nearby lorry before coming to a stop.

The impact trapped the women between the car and the lorry, causing severe injuries.

Police confirmed that three of the women died at the scene, while the fourth woman was admitted to the Kandy National Hospital in critical condition.

Police noted the car had initially been driven by a man—husband of the woman who later took the wheel. He had arrived in Gampola with his wife and their two children. At some point, the husband reportedly allowed his wife, a 36-year-old woman holding only a learner’s driving permit, to drive.

Preliminary police investigations reveal that as the car approached the temple area, the woman mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake, causing the vehicle to surge forward uncontrollably and hit the group of women before crashing into the parked lorry.

The force of the collision also caused the lorry to move into the road, and the car ultimately came to a stop after hitting a slope.

The woman was hospitalized and later taken into police custody. Further investigations are currently underway.