Five dead, four hospitalized in road accident

ACCIDENT, GULU-KAMPALA HIGHWAY

Five people are confirmed dead and four others critically injured following an accident in Kiryandongo district on Saturday night.

The accident occurred along Gulu-Kampala highway when a commuter taxi registration number UAY 648T, which was moving from northern Uganda heading to Kampala rammed into a stationary trailer registration number UAP 370L of SSD-437D.

Julius Allan Hakiza, the Albertine region police spokesperson, told New Vision on Sunday by phone that the accident occurred at Chepelwo trading centre, Kibanda North, Kiryabndongo district at 9:00pm.

 Hakiza identified the deceased as Fredrick Sunde, a resident of Kawempe in Kampala, Joseph Adepo from Mukono district and an employee of National Forestry Authority (NFA) and Tommy Ojoko, a resident Kawoko in Mutunde sub-county Kiryandongo district.

Those injured are Vicky Auma, a resident of Kisura village in Kiryandongo district, Ronald Waswa, the taxi driver, Patrick Opio, a resident of Dokolo district and Benson Asisi hailing from Arua district. They were admitted at Kiryandongio district.

 Hakiiza said the trailer had packed on the roadside after developing a mechanical problem.

 Hakiiza blames the cause of accident on reckless driving by the taxi driver.

Accidents on Kampala-Gulu high way are common. In December last year, five people died on spot while others were seriously injured after bus collided with a Prado. In January, two foreign nationals died in road accident on Kampala -Gulu highway.