An individual who contested the last General Election from the Ratnapura District under the National People’s Power (NPP) ticket has been killed in a head-on collision involving a motorcycle and a private bus, police said.
The deceased has been identified as H. M. Sarath Wijesena, a 63-year-old retired brigadier and father of two, who was residing in Makumbura, Pannipitiya.
A retired colonel who was travelling with him sustained serious injuries in the accident.
The incident occurred while the two were travelling by motorcycle to Galle for a business purpose along the Bandaragama-Kesbewa road.
The collision took place at the Galkade junction in Welmilla, when a private bus transporting staff of the Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital to Matugama collided head-on with the motorcycle.
Following the collision, the motorcycle was reportedly dragged for more than 100 meters and came to a stop on the road.
The driver of the private bus, a 42-year-old resident of Agalawatta, has been arrested in connection with the incident.
Bandaragama Police are conducting further investigations into the incident.
