Bandarawela Magistrate Anthony Paul ordered that the two drivers who were arrested and remanded on suspicion of the Diyatalawa Nariyakanda Foxhill race car accident be released on one hundred thousand rupees surety bail each when they were produced at the Bandarawela Magistrate’s Court yesterday (24).
Ranjith Uduvita (36), a resident of Hittatiya, Matara who competed in the Diyatalawa Foxhill Motor Race under number 5 and A.M. Dilan Sanjeeva (47), a resident of Mahakanda, Peradeniya, Kandy, who competed under number 196 in this racing competition were released on bail.
Organised by the Sri Lanka Motor Racing Association and the Diyatalawa Military Academy, The Fox Hill motor and motorcycle races was held on April 21, after five years into the 2019 Easter Sunday attack, were held at the Diyatalawa motor race track.
While the car races were going on, in the Ford Laser Mazda engine capacity 1500 cc car category, which was the 18th event of the competition, the two cars driven by the above named two competitors crashed into each other and one of the cars ran off the track and plowed into the area where spectators were standing, which the Police said that caused this fatal accident.
The Police said that seven people including an 8-year-old girl were killed and 21 others were injured and admitted to the Diyatalawa and Badulla teaching hospitals in this fatal accident.
Subsequently, the Diyathalawa police arrested the two motorists on suspicion of the fatal accident while they were receiving treatment at the Diyathalawa Base Hospital, and were remanded in custody by Bandarawela Magistrate Anthony Paul till April 30.
C.Gamage