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PADER - A Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldier has been knocked dead by a speeding Police truck at Rackoko village, Awere sub-county in Pader district.

Pader Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Milton Odongo has confirmed the death of the army officer only identified as Private Ojok. The victim is reported to have been manning a roadblock on Rackoko Road when the tragedy happened.

Odongo added that the driver that knocked the soldier was a Police officer identified as Ochaya and was driving a Police Pickup Truck number UP 7720 carrying his family member.

Esther Lalam, the councillor representing Awere and Lunyiri sub-counties in Pader, said the fatal crash happened at 6:30am on Friday, December 15, 2023, in Rackoko trading centre on the Pader-Lamwo Road.

Lalam explained that the Police driver was transporting his boss’s family members from Apac district to Lamwo district for the Christmas holiday when he knocked down the army officer who was enforcing a checkpoint on illegal charcoal business in Pader.

“The police officer was carrying [transporting] some family members when he knocked dead the army officer on duty this morning”, remarked Hon. Lalam.

Lalam added that the body of the deceased has been taken to Lira Regional Referral Hospital mortuary in Lira city while the Police officer is at large.

She added that the incident caused commotion between the Police officer and the soldiers at the check where the sides were firing bullets into the sky to scare away each other to avoid arrest.

David Ongom Mudong, the Aswa River Region Police Spokesperson did not confirm the incident as the information had not yet been received.

Mudong said he would follow up with the District Police Commander (DPC) and Regional Police Commander (RPC) offices of the eastern Aswa Region.

The Police from Pader Central Police Station visited the scene and drove the police truck UP 7720 to the Pader CPS and a formal case is yet to be recorded at the same station.