Preliminary investigations by the Directorate of Traffic Police into the crash between a passenger train and a motor vehicle in Kampala, which claimed the life of an American national, indicate that careless driving was a contributing factor. The crash occurred on Friday evening at Wankoko Railway Crossing along Spring Road, near Jinja Road. A passenger train travelling from Kampala to Mukono collided with a motor vehicle, registration number UBF 582X, which was coming from the Luzira side and heading towards Kampala.
Following the impact, the train pushed the vehicle approximately 200 meters off the road. The vehicle was carrying four American nationals identified as Mathew Gardener, Matthew, Savana Gardener, and two children whose identities had not yet been established. The victims, who were working with a non-governmental organisation (NGO) known as Baptism Mission in Uganda, were rushed to Rubis Hospital along the Lugogo Bypass for medical attention. However, Savana Gardener, who was the co-driver, was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Investigations into the crash have been ongoing since Saturday and are being conducted by Traffic Police attached to Jinja Road Police Station. On Monday, Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire said preliminary findings indicate that the crash was largely caused by careless driving and the motorist’s failure to comply with traffic rules.
John Linonn Ssengendo, the Spokesperson of the Uganda Railways Corporation (URC), said similar accidents at railway crossings have prompted the deployment of Uganda Police officers to guard these locations. This followed observations that motorists were ignoring warning signals issued by railway staff about approaching trains.
“It’s very unfortunate that even with police officers deployed as level crossing guards at train crossings, motorists are still disrespecting them. People can’t wait a single minute, which is why we’re still recording such accidents at train crossings,” Ssengendo said, referring to the recent crash involving American nationals near Jinja Road.
He added that URC is preparing to roll out a project involving automated crossing sensor machines. According to Ssengendo, the machines will automatically block the road when a train is approaching within 300 meters and reopen once the train has passed.
Apart from installing automated sensor machines, Ssengendo said the railway corporation also plans to construct flyovers to allow trains to pass over roads, eliminating direct intersections with motor vehicles.In 2025 alone, URC recorded four major accidents at railway crossing points, including a July incident in Malaba where a taxi collided with a train, killing four people instantly and injuring several others.
According to Traffic Police records for 2024, Ugandan roads registered 25,107 crashes—a 6.4 per cent increase from the previous year—resulting in 25,808 casualties. Of these crashes, 4,434 were fatal, translating to an average of 14 deaths per day. The leading causes were careless overtaking, speeding, poor mechanical condition of vehicles, and substandard road conditions.
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