Van chase on Galle road : Suspect succumbs to gunshot wounds

COLOMBO (News 1st) - The suspect who was shot by the Army following the hot pursuit of a hijacked van succumbed to his wounds at the National Hospital. A suspect was injured and another escaped when the Army opened fire at the van in Pinwatte, Panadura which had been hijacked from the Mattegoda area. The suspected van had been hijacked by the two suspects last evening after threatening the driver with the locally manufactured firearm. The police managed to track the location of the van using GPS and informed the Aguruwathota Police Division to intercept the vehicle. The media spokesperson of Police SP Ruwan Gunasekara said the army had opened fire at the suspects when they had attempted to shoot at the Police using a locally manufactured firearm. Despite attempts to stop the vehicle by four police personnel of the Aguruwathota Police Division, it deemed futile as the vehicle was moving fast. The same police personnel commenced a pursuit while the Wadduwa Police Division informed the Police and military checkpoints on the Galle road to intercept the Wadduwa bound vehicle. The police stated that the van did not stop at a checkpoint and instead continued to move while running over two army personnel at the scene. Police added that one of the army personnel suffered severe injuries while other sustained mild injuries. In the meantime, a group of officials attached to the Walana Anti Corruption Unit joined the pursuit and managed to get better of the van and block the road using the jeep they were travelling in. When one of the suspects attempted to discharge the local firearm at the police, the army had to shot the suspect in the leg. The suspect who escaped the scene was arrested. Police are conducting further investigations in search of the escaped suspect.