Two racing car drivers who participated in the ‘ 28th Fox Hill Super Cross – 2024’ races in Diyatalawa were arrested by Diyatalawa Police and were remanded till April 30, after being produced before the Bandarawela Magistrate’s Court yesterday over Sunday’s (21) tragic accident that occurred on the Fox Hill tracks, Police said.
The arrested are a 36-year-old resident of Matara and a 47-year-old resident of Peradeniya who had contested under the numbers 5 and 196 respectively, it was reported.
A total of seven deaths including that of an eight-year-old girl occurred and over 20 others were hospitalised when a car that hit another veered off the track and crashed into the spectators during the 17th race of the day on Sunday.
Those arrested are also among the injured and Police had arrested them while they were undergoing treatment at the Diyatalawa Base Hospital, Police said.
The deceased were identified as Shiwakumar Dinushika (08), Chamath Niroshan (19), Asen Heenatigala (20), Rasika Abeynayake (32) (an Army personnel who was on leave), Muththusami Udayakumar (55), Ganesh Jayawardane (60) and Aruna Shantha Upali Gamage (72), who are residents of the Dayaraba, Seeduwa, Avissawella, Matara, and Akuressa areas. It was reported that three of the deceased are track officials.
Four individuals out of injured were later transferred to Badulla Teaching Hospital in critical condition, Diyatalawa Hospital sources said.
The Diyatalawa Police are conducting further investigations into the incident. Also, another investigation into the accident has been launched by two Police groups under the supervision of two Superintendents of Police (SPs) in the Bandarawela Division, SSP of Bandarawela Division Pradeep Kalupahana said. In addition, the Sri Lanka Army also will conduct a separate internal investigation into this unusual tragic accident, Army sources told the Daily News.
A seven-member investigation team led by Commander of Security Forces Headquarters (Central) Major General S.R.B Aluvihare has been appointed in this regard, Army sources said.
The 28th edition of the ‘Fox Hill SuperCross – 2024’ was organized by the Sri Lanka Military Academy in Diyatalawa together with the Sri Lanka Automobile Sports (SLAS) exactly five years after the last races, which was held on April 21, 2019.
This accident had taken place in the second lap of the 17th race of the day, which was held under the 1500cc Ford Laser Mazda 323 category’.
Nishantha Abeygunawardena – Badulla, Lahiru Fernando and Deneth Sankalana