The Polgahawela level crossing accident was a collision between a bus travelling from Galkiriyagama to Colombo and a train at a level crossing in Yangalmodara, near Polgahawela in Kurunegala district on 27 April 2005 at 8:30 local time, which resulted in the death of 41 people.
The bus driver, who survived with only a broken ankle, initially refused to speak about the crash to investigators.
The barriers on the crossing only covered the lane for oncoming traffic, allowing the bus driver to drive through on the wrong side of the road with visibility obscured further due to vegetation in area.
The Sri Lankan government promised to prevent races by private bus companies, who competed for customers by advertising fast journeys, often violating traffic laws to do so.
In April 2013, the bus driver, as well as bus conductor, M. G. Buddhika Ruwan Kumara, were sentenced to death by Kurunagala High Court, the first death sentences handed down in Sri Lanka for a road traffic offence.