One person was killed and another seriously injured in two separate road crashes reported in eastern Uganda’s Kibuku District on Sunday, police said.
In the first incident, a 55-year-old teacher was knocked dead in a hit-and-run accident along the Tirinyi-Pallisa Road at Kataka 1 Village.
The victim, identified as Robert Mudambi, a resident of Kiryolo 1 Village in Lwatama Sub-county, was walking to his garden using the pedestrian walkway and facing towards Pallisa when he was struck, police said.
‘On reaching Kataka trading area, he branched off the main road onto a small path leading to his garden when a Sino Howo semi-trailer, registration numbers RAI 059C / RL 6904, hit him from behind,’ said Bukedi North Police spokesperson ASP Wilfred Kyempasa.
He said the white semi-trailer dragged Mudambi for about 15 metres, killing him on the spot, before continuing towards Pallisa.
‘The vehicle was later intercepted by police. It was being driven by Musa Niyimbizi Zaburini, a 29-year-old Rwandan national residing in Kigali,’ ASP Kyempasa said.
Police suspect driver fatigue as the cause of the fatal crash. Investigations are ongoing.
In a separate incident later the same day, a boda-boda rider sustained serious injuries in a road crash at Nabiswa Trading Centre along the Mbale-Iganga Highway at about 4:30 p.m., police said.
The crash involved a Nissan Wingroad, registration number UAU 880J, driven by Steven Kirago, 59, an electrician and resident of Bwibere Village, and a Bajaj Boxer motorcycle, registration UFS 785D, ridden by Demiano Samanya, 30, a resident of Buswanyi Village. Both are from Nabiswa Sub-county.
According to police, the two vehicles were travelling in the same direction from Mbale towards Iganga when the motorcycle rider, who was ahead of the car, allegedly made a sudden U-turn, resulting in a side-swipe collision.
Police observed skid marks measuring about 54 metres at the scene, indicating an element of over-speeding by the motor vehicle.
ASP Kyempasa said the crash was caused by the rider’s sudden turn, compounded by the speed of the motor vehicle.
Following the collision, Samanya sustained multiple injuries and was rushed to Kadama Community Care Centre, where he is currently receiving treatment.
The vehicles involved in both crashes were towed to Tirinyi Police Station pending inspection by the Inspector of Vehicles (IOV). The driver involved in the second crash was released on Police Form 18.
Police investigations into both accidents are still ongoing.