Gayani's unfortunate accident

Tragedy of schoolgirl ....
knocked down by vehicle at 80 km.p.h.Heart-rending death of Gayani .... Organs of body gifted

It was most unexpectedly that student Gayani was killed. A motor vehicle accident which took place at Araliya Uyana in Pannipitiya claimed the life of Gayani, an A/L student who was crossing the road at the road crossing when a cab speeding at 80 m.p.h. pushed her along and threw her about 100 metres away recently. The vehicle was driven by the President of the Sugathadasa Stadium, Priyantha Samaratunga, a retired Brigadier. Though Gayani was treated for 3 days at the Colombo intensive care unit, it was not possible to save her life because her brain was crushed from the accident and as a cause of haemmorage. The retired brigadier is now under custody.

However, the heart-rending part of this story is the steps that were taken thereafter. Gayani's father, an innocent three-wheel driver, her mother and brother were so shocked by this incident. When Gayani was hospitalised, they already knew her chances of living were limited. Gayani's parents thought that the best thing to do was to help another living human being to avoid death if and when meeting with such an unanticipated tragedy since there was no way to prevent Gayani's death. As such, they instructed the hospital authorities to donate the deceased daughter's organs which were in good condition to any other person who would be in need of them.

Gayani's liver which was in good condition was thus donated on 27 November to a 21 year old female patient while Gayani's eyes were sent to the Eye Bank. Commissioner Dr. Anil Jayasinghe of the National Hospital said that Gayani's heart and two kidneys would be transplanted to two other children.

The deceased who faced this unfortunate tragedy around 7.40 in the evening of 24 November at the road crossing at Araliya Uyana in Depanama is Vishaka Liyanage the 17 year old student following the Commerce stream and was to sit for her A/L in 2015 and she was a student of Pannipitiya Dharmapala Vidyalaya.

It was a rainy day and this accident happened when Gayani was returning home after attending an additional class. Mohammed Ashroff who was in the vicinity said that the student was struck by a black-coloured cab which was travelling from Pannipitiya towards Pelawatta at a terrible speed and the girl was dragged along, placed on the bonnet of the vehicle for about 100 metres. Giving evidence in this connection, he said, "I was standing at the bus-halt at Araliya Uyana junction along Pannipitiya road, Borella around 7.45 on Sunday night. There was a drizzle too at that time. When I was there I saw that girl crossing the road from the road crossing, carrying a red-coloured umbrella. Just as she had passed about half-way of the yellow-coloured crossing, a double-cab came speeding from the direction of Pannipitiya towards Borella. I assume that it came at a speed of 80 kms. Having seen the approaching double-cab moving towards her at such a speed, this girl quickened her pace to run and complete the rest of the crossing and thus avoid being struck by the vehicle ... but she couldn't.

The cab struck the girl and she was placed on the bonnet. The vehicle sped for another 100 metres at almost the same speed. It later stopped near the dispensary .... and I ran behind it. On going there I saw the girl who was on top of the bonnet thrown off and lying on the ground. The girl's head had got smashed and I saw that she had her hands kept tight round her head and she was curled up. Later people gathered round her. The driver then came out of the vehicle and we asked him to take the girl to hospital ... but he was trembling. So it was in another vehicle that we sent her to the hospital".

It was noticed that the front number plate of the vehicle had got bent. The vehicle now retained at Maharagama police.

The 66 year old president of the Sugathadasa stadium, retired Brigadier Priyantha Samaratunga who was driving the vehicle had been going on an urgent domestic matter when the accident happened, the police said. After the accident he was taken into custody by Maharagama police. He was produced before Nugegoda Magistrate's court and was remanded until 5th December.

The deceased was Gayani Vishaka Liyanage, eldest daughter of three-wheel driver Channa Dhammika Liyanage and W.P.V. Deepika of 6th Lane, Araliya Uyana, Pannipitiya, Depanama. Gayani was a student of Kottawa Dharmapala Vidyalaya studying for her A/L in the Commerce stream. She has 2 younger brothers.

It was the conclusion of the doctors that as a result of the serious damage to Gayani's brain and internal haemmorrage that has occurred from the accident that they were unable to save Gayani's life.

The attempt taken by the parents Deepika and Channa of Pannipitiya to donate their daughter's internal organs to some other children while Gayani was on the throes of death was a story that was highly acclaimed by many people and it was a pathetic ending to a heat-rending episode.

Gayani's final rites are to be conduced on Saturday 30th at Kandewatta cemetery, Pannipitiya.