Court upholds compensation order in reckless driving incident

The original ruling by the Anuradhapura District Court, which mandated the driver to compensate the victim, remains valid following the High Court’s decision to reject the driver's appeal.

Deepani Sunethra Weliwatta, a mother of three, sustained serious injuries on March 4, 2007, when a speeding cab struck her while she walked correctly along the gravel edge of the road with her children in the Lindawewa area of Nochchiyagama.

The driver, identified as Ismail Mohamed Sultan, a resident of Jayanthi Mawatha, Anuradhapura, challenged the District Court's judgment, claiming it was contrary to the law.

However, the two-judge bench of the High Court, comprising Judges D.M. Ruwan Dhammika Dissanayake and Sandun Withanage, observed that the driver's negligence was clearly established by the evidence presented during the initial trial.

Judge Ruwan Dhammika Dissanayake stated that the District Judge evaluated all evidence appropriately and that there was no legal basis for the High Court to intervene or alter the verdict.

Consequently, the court dismissed the appeal with costs.