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Young student with IT dreams, felled in fatal traffic accident
Mohomad Amman Kitchil was aspiring to achieve best results at the G.C.E (A/L) next year but died in a traffic accident in which nine students were severely wounded in the early hours of last Sunday.
Mohomad Amman Kitchil: Tragic end
The former student of Lalith Athulathmudali College, Mt Lavinia, got good results at the G .C. E. (O/L) with nine distinctions and enrolled at Royal College, Colombo. He was eager to take up information technology studies.
Young Kitchil, along with a group of students, were involved in organising a school event of the media unit due to take place on the following day. They were travelling in a pickup truck driven by a student. Following them was another car also driven by a student when the speeding pickup truck ran off the road, ploughed into a wall, and overturned. The car following it also crashed onto a wall.
They were on their way to collect newly-printed tickets for the event the next day.
His sister Hajara Kitchil, said that her brother often took part in swimming, gymnastics, and also was a member of the school band.
“He enjoyed working. It was only about six weeks after he joined Royal College but was active in the media team due to his knowledge of IT and graphics,” she said.
He had been looking forward to the event before getting on with his studies in view of the A/L exam.
Ms Kitchil explained that her brother had left to school shortly before noon on Sunday saying that this will be the final day that he will be skipping his mathematics class due to the event.
Her brother sent her a message at 8:7 p.m. inquiring as to what she was doing. “I replied saying that I am going to sleep now because there is nothing much to do,” she said. At 10:55 p.m. she asked if he had taken dinner and he responded at 00:01 hrs saying he had his dinner and two minutes later he sent another saying that he was with eight of his friends at Rajagiriya.
Grieving family members
“I finally messaged him on ‘WhatsApp’ saying to be safe and though he did not reply, the message had been viewed,” she said.
Amman’s mother Hasna Kitchil, said that her son also had messaged her elder son saying that he will be home early morning and will leave his laptop at home.
One of the students injured in the accident, said: “I was asleep in the vehicle when it happened. I remember that the incident took place when we were returning school after taking the printed tickets and graphics for the video display, as well as some T-shirts that were to be used during the event.’’
Meanwhile, another group of younger members of the media team was at the school junior grounds fixing a stage for the event.
The deputy director, neurotrauma, accident and orthopaedic services, Dr Samiddhi Samarakoon, said some of the wounded are in intensive care.
The Police Media spokesman, SP Ruwan Gunasekara, said that the two students were arrested, while they were admitted at the Colombo National Hospital and the Hulftsdorp Magistrate has been notified. The magistrate visited the hospital and granted bail to the two boys who drove the vehicles considering that they are minors.
“We will file a case against the students for reckless driving,” he said.
“The young cannot be trusted with vehicles immediately after they get their drivers’ licence. The parents should be much more careful, they must have surpassed the age to obtain a licence, but mentally they must become disciplined,’’ he said.
“The parents are suffering the consequences of allowing youngsters to drive. Other parents should take this as an example.’’
The Minister of Education Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, said he had called for a report from the school about the incident.
The many trophies and medals won by Kitchil. Pix by M.D. Nissanka
