Police hunt for tipper driver who ran over policemen, killing one

Police are searching for the driver of a tipper vehicle responsible for knocking down a group of policemen at a roadblock in Hakmana last night (13), resulting in a Police Constable being killed and two Sergeants seriously injured. 

Police Media Unit stated that at around 11.00pm yesterday, officers at a checkpoint in Kirinda town in Hakmana police division had signalled for a tipper vehicle traveling from the direction of Matara towards Hakmana to stop. The vehicle however, had proceeded without stopping, whereupon the officers had radioed their colleagues who were on duty at a roadblock ahead about the vehicle and gone after it. 

Accordingly, officers on duty at the roadblock at 13th Milepost in Kongala managed to stop the vehicle. They were joined by the officers from the other roadblock whilst they were checking the vehicle. 

The officers had released the driver after giving him a stern warning over dangerous driving and issuing him with a temporary driver's permit. 

However, the vehicle, after turning back and driving towards Matara for about 10 minutes, had turned around and come back towards the checkpoint, running down the officers who were on duty there before fleeing. A police constable was killed while two others who were seriously injured in the incident were admitted to the Matara hospital. 

Police identified the deceased constable as a 36-year-old resident of Walasmulla. He was attached to the Hakmana police station. 

Hakmana police are conducting investigations to arrest the tipper vehicle's driver, who remains at large.