Seven people are nursing severe injuries they sustained in a road accident that occurred in Kigona village, Butema Parish, Buhanika sub-county, along the Hoima-Kampala road. The accident occurred on Thursday Morning at around 8 a.m.
The crash involved two Vehicles, including a taxi registration number UBJ 478L that was from Hoima heading to Kampala and a box-body truck registration number UAT 702A that was from Kampala heading to Hoima.
The particulars of those injured were not readily available. They had been rushed to various health facilities in critical condition.
Information obtained indicates that the driver of the Taxi was speeding. He reportedly failed to negotiate a sharp corner and rammed into an oncoming box body truck. They collided head-on, injuring occupants in both vehicles.
Emmanuel Kansiime, a resident of Kigona, says they had a loud bang and rushed, only to find that both vehicles had been involved in a serious accident. They alerted the Red Cross team, which rushed and evacuated the victims to various health facilities in Hoima city.
Sarah Namukasa, an eyewitness, says immediately after the accident, occupants in both vehicles started screaming for help. They alerted police, who rushed to the scene.
Julius Hakiza, the Albertine region police spokesperson, confirmed the accident, adding that a team of traffic officers had already been dispatched to the accident scene to investigate.
He says, both drivers, who are yet to be identified, have equally been injured but fled to an unknown destination immediately after the accident.
According to Hakiza, preliminary investigations point to overspeeding and reckless driving by the Taxi driver.
On Wednesday evening, eleven people were critically injured following an accident involving a Nile Star Coach along the Gulu–Kampala Highway in Kiryandongo District.
The crash occurred at around 5 p.m. at Alengo Village, Diima Sub-county, involving a Nile Star Bus registration number UBG 019C that was traveling from Kampala to Arua District.
According to preliminary reports, the bus driver, who has since been arrested, swerved to avoid a motorcyclist crossing the road, lost control, and veered off the road before overturning, leaving several passengers injured.
On October 22, another fatal crash along the same highway in Kitaleba Village, Kiryandongo Sub-county, claimed 46 lives and left 67 people injured.
That accident involved two passenger buses and two other vehicles — a Nile Star Coaches Isuzu bus (UBF 614X), a Planet Company bus (UAM 045V), a Tata lorry (UBK 647C), and a Toyota Surf (CGO 5132AB 07).
Police findings at the time indicated that the Nile Star bus attempted to overtake a lorry while the Planet bus was overtaking from the opposite direction, resulting in a head-on collision and a chain reaction involving the other vehicles.
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