A car veered off the carriageway and crashed into the central safety barrier of the Southern Expressway near the 32.4-kilometre post at Dodangoda on Monday morning (7), police said.
The vehicle was travelling from Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake towards Matara when it struck barriers placed along the expressway for road-maintenance work, Ada Derana reported. The impact pushed the car forward into the central barrier, where it came to rest on top of the guardrail, according to Hiru News, citing Southern Expressway Traffic Police.
A woman travelling in the vehicle sustained minor injuries.
Damage
The collision caused significant damage to the expressway’s central safety barrier and to the road-maintenance barriers, as well as extensive damage to the car itself. The Daily Mirror also reported the crash.
The three accounts differ slightly on what the car struck first: Ada Derana and the Daily Mirror describe maintenance barricades, while Hiru News refers to water barriers placed for the same works. All three agree the vehicle ended up against the central divider.
Police are conducting further investigations.
Maintenance activity on expressway carriageways is routinely marked with temporary barriers, and traffic is channelled around the working area. None of the reports said whether the maintenance zone was signposted in advance of the 32.4km post, what speed the vehicle was travelling at, or whether any other vehicle was involved.
