A young man was injured after being knocked down by a three-wheeler on a pedestrian crossing outside the Seetha Amman Kovil in Hakgala, on the Nuwara Eliya–Welimada main road, Hiru News reported, citing the Traffic Division of the Nuwara Eliya Police.
The injured man has been identified as the son of the kovil’s chief priest. He has been admitted to the Nuwara Eliya District General Hospital for treatment.
What police say happened
The three-wheeler was travelling from Welimada towards Nuwara Eliya when it struck the man as he was crossing the road, according to traffic officers.
After the collision, the driver left the scene with the vehicle.
Nuwara Eliya Police have opened an investigation to trace the three-wheeler and its driver, and officers confirmed that CCTV footage of the collision has been obtained.
A marked crossing on a main road
The detail that matters for any prosecution is where the man was struck: on the pedestrian crossing itself, where a driver is required to give way.
The kovil stands directly on the A5 Nuwara Eliya–Welimada road at Sita Eliya, near the Hakgala Botanical Garden, and is among the best-known Ramayana-associated pilgrimage sites in the hill country, drawing a steady flow of visitors on foot across that road. The government said in August it was planning conservation and tourism projects for the garden and the surrounding mountain area, intended to raise visitor numbers.
A note on the headline
Hiru published this report under two different headlines. Its English desk headline describes the victim as injured; the Sinhala-derived slug on the alternative URL renders as a life having been lost. The body of the report, and the fact that the victim was admitted to hospital for treatment, support the first. This article follows the body.
Not reported
The report does not give the victim’s name or age, describe his injuries or his condition, or say when the collision occurred. It does not name the chief priest or the kovil’s temple authority.
It does not say whether the three-wheeler has been identified from the CCTV footage, whether its registration number was captured, or whether any charge is contemplated. No other verified newsroom had filed on the incident at the time of writing.
