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Dispute over payment of damages to car sales centre hit by vehicle driven by teenager
View(s):A dispute has arisen over the payment of damages to the Colombo 7 luxury car sales centre that was damaged when a jeep driven by a teenager crashed into the building a fortnight ago.
The car sales centre said the dispute was over the refusal by parties concerned to pay the damages claimed.
Scene of the accident: The luxury vehicle that crashed into the car sales showroom
According to the car sales company, the damages caused to the building and seven luxury vehicles on display at the showroom are estimated to be more than Rs 60 million.
However, the company is claiming only Rs 20 million as damages, a spokesman said.
Nineteen-year-old Malisha Ratnayake, the daughter of SSP Pradeep Ratnayake was driving the jeep that crashed into the building at Albert Crescent on November 15. It later transpired she had no driving licence.
Soon after the incident, the Cinnamon Gardens Police took her into custody but released her hours later on a police bond of Rs 10,000.
She was produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s court the following day and was released on Rs 200,000 surety bail.
She faces charges of negligent driving and driving a motor vehicle without a licence. The next hearing of the case is on January 22.
The Land Cruiser jeep which the teenager drove suffered damages to the value of Rs. 15 million, a lawyer representing the owner of the vehicle told court.
The jeep had been hired from a rent-a-car company.
In her statement to the police, Ms Ratnayake said she was dropped off at a friend’s residence from where she was to get a lift. However, she had asked the friend whether she could drive the vehicle and had taken the wheel.
She said that as she was approaching the junction and negotiating the bend towards Independence Avenue, a lorry had overtaken from the left and she felt the steering wheel getting locked before the vehicle crashed into the building. The girl was cleared of being under the influence of intoxicants.
The rent-a-car company said it would also not be able to pay compensation as the vehicle had been driven by a persons without a valid licence.
Police said that the friend who had handed over the vehicle to Ms. Ranayake is the son of the owner of the company and will also be charged for permitting a person without a valid driving licence to drive.