Otunnu survives accident
Dec 21, 2009
THE UPC presidential hopeful, Olara Otunnu, escaped unhurt when his vehicle collided with a jeep of the Presidential Guard Brigade (PGB) on the Kampala-Gulu road yesterday.
By Chris Ocowun and Moses Mulondo
THE UPC presidential hopeful, Olara Otunnu, escaped unhurt when his vehicle collided with a jeep of the Presidential Guard Brigade (PGB) on the Kampala-Gulu road yesterday.
Otunnu, a former United Nations diplomat, was traveling to Kampala. His vehicle hit the jeep in the seven-vehicle PGB convoy at Minakulu in Oyam district. The convoy was going in the same direction.
PGB spokesperson Capt. Edson Kwesiga said two soldiers were injured in the accident that happened at about 9:00am.
According to Martin Amoru, the regional Police commander, Otunnu’s driver wanted to overtake the convoy.
“Otunnu was driving back from Gulu but as his driver wanted to overtake the PGB convoy, he collided with one of the vehicles. We are still investigating to establish who was in the wrong,†Amoru told the New Vision in Gulu.
He said after inspecting the two vehicles, they handed them back to their owners, adding that they were both so damaged that they had to be towed away.
“Otuunu’s Land Cruiser had a tyre burst and some damages. We have recorded statements from the two people and investigations are going on. We want to talk to the eyewitnesses to get more information,†the Police commander said.
Kwesiga said the PGB soldiers discovered that Otunnu was involved in the accident after it had happened. “After colliding, the vehicle was thrown into the bush. The convoy stopped and that is when they realised it was Otunnu,†he said.
But speaking at a press conference at the UPC headquarters in Kampala, Otunnu described the circumstances under which the accident occurred as “highly unusualâ€.
Otunnu, who said he was travelling in the car with four other people, called their survival a miracle. He said although he was not injured, he was physically shaken.
“PGB vehicles were ahead of us moving at a very slow speed and at some time almost stationary,†he told journalists.
“We signaled to them that we wanted to overtake and they gave way. But after we had overtaken two vehicles, the third blocked the road and my driver quickly tried to avoid collision but the second vehicle we had overtaken increased speed and tried to hit us from behind.â€
He said they hurtled into the bush and passed in between two mango trees, adding that he was surprised soldiers were calling out his name even before he got out of his car. “I was also surprised that they mentioned the name of one of my security colleagues and the photographer who was in my vehicle.â€
THE UPC presidential hopeful, Olara Otunnu, escaped unhurt when his vehicle collided with a jeep of the Presidential Guard Brigade (PGB) on the Kampala-Gulu road yesterday.
Otunnu, a former United Nations diplomat, was traveling to Kampala. His vehicle hit the jeep in the seven-vehicle PGB convoy at Minakulu in Oyam district. The convoy was going in the same direction.
PGB spokesperson Capt. Edson Kwesiga said two soldiers were injured in the accident that happened at about 9:00am.
According to Martin Amoru, the regional Police commander, Otunnu’s driver wanted to overtake the convoy.
“Otunnu was driving back from Gulu but as his driver wanted to overtake the PGB convoy, he collided with one of the vehicles. We are still investigating to establish who was in the wrong,†Amoru told the New Vision in Gulu.
He said after inspecting the two vehicles, they handed them back to their owners, adding that they were both so damaged that they had to be towed away.
“Otuunu’s Land Cruiser had a tyre burst and some damages. We have recorded statements from the two people and investigations are going on. We want to talk to the eyewitnesses to get more information,†the Police commander said.
Kwesiga said the PGB soldiers discovered that Otunnu was involved in the accident after it had happened. “After colliding, the vehicle was thrown into the bush. The convoy stopped and that is when they realised it was Otunnu,†he said.
But speaking at a press conference at the UPC headquarters in Kampala, Otunnu described the circumstances under which the accident occurred as “highly unusualâ€.
Otunnu, who said he was travelling in the car with four other people, called their survival a miracle. He said although he was not injured, he was physically shaken.
“PGB vehicles were ahead of us moving at a very slow speed and at some time almost stationary,†he told journalists.
“We signaled to them that we wanted to overtake and they gave way. But after we had overtaken two vehicles, the third blocked the road and my driver quickly tried to avoid collision but the second vehicle we had overtaken increased speed and tried to hit us from behind.â€
He said they hurtled into the bush and passed in between two mango trees, adding that he was surprised soldiers were calling out his name even before he got out of his car. “I was also surprised that they mentioned the name of one of my security colleagues and the photographer who was in my vehicle.â€