80 lives saved by the driver's skill in Thalawakale

According to the Ginigathhena Police, a driver managed to prevent a major accident by stopping a bus, which had gone out of control due to brake failure, by crashing it into an earth mound. This bus belongs to the Kadawatha CTB depot and was traveling from Talawakelle to Colombo.

This incident was reported today (26th) around 5:30 AM in the Kadawala Maha Wanguwa area of Ginigathhena, on the Hatton - Colombo main road.

The bus driver, Mr. Mahesh Sudarshan (49), a father of three, commenting on the incident, stated that when the bus was attempting to take a bend, he shifted to second gear to maintain control. He further added that at that moment, since the braking system failed, he was able to stop the bus by using his experience and the handbrake to crash it into an earth mound near the sloped road.

Approximately 80 people were in the bus at the time of the incident, and none of them sustained any injuries. Afterwards, the driver and conductor together arranged for the passengers to be sent to their destination by another bus.