Oil tanker crash kills female driver, injures two

By Hudson Apunyo

DOKOLO - A petroleum tanker crashed into a house in Dokolo on Friday afternoon killing the female driver instantly and injuring the co-driver and two others on the ground.

Eyewitnesses said the incident happened at around 4:30Pm at Akolodong Trading Centre, about 3km to Dokolo town along Lira- Dokolo- Soroti highway.

The deceased driver identified as Grace Waniri was driving vehicle registration number UAQ 543C belonging to Uni Oil (U) Ltd. She was going back to Eldoret in Kenya after delivering fuel at Oil Energy (U) Ltd petrol station in Lira,

The co-driver only identified as Wangare is admitted to Dokolo Health Centre IV together with Susan Alele, a business woman whose shop was destroyed, and a child.
 

The tanker rammed into a house killing the driver and injuring a woman and child in the home

Eyewitnesses said there was a loud bang and dust filled the air forcing people to flee for dear life anticipating an explosion.
 
Dokolo District Police Commander Hamis Kayondo said the tanker first rammed into a rest house before crashing the main house reducing it to rubble. He said it’s likely the driver dozed off and veered off the road.

Emma Madondo, the Operations Manager of Oil Energy (U) Ltd said the surviving co-driver, who is now in stable condition, said the driver was dodging a man who was crossing the road with a goat.

The deceased driver got stuck in the cabin and had to be removed after it was cut.

The body was taken to Dokolo Health Centre IV mortuary and later transferred to Lira Army Barracks for preservation.

Earlier in the day, Dokolo OC Traffic David Kakare (ASP) and Vincent Muyelero (Cpl) survived death when a cow jumped into the road and they rammed into it. The duo was riding to yet another scene where a trailer had overturned at Olweny Swamp.

In another incident in Lira, one Abdu Omara crashed to death when he took a vehicle parked at a Ngetta Ginnery police post and drove at a terrific speed.

The vehicle, Toyota Premio, registration number UAK 280F, was involved in a minor accident and while the owner was making a statement, Omara took the vehicle and crashed into a lock up shop and died instantly.

The owner of the vehicle Nyeko Steven, 24, a student of Makerere University Kampala said he was from Kampala going to visit his uncle in Alebtong when he avoided knocking three pupils playing in the road and a group of people including a police officer who arrested him.