Mbale, (UG): Police in the northern division of Nakaloke in Mbale are actively hunting for the driver of a Toyota Noah vehicle who Saturday morning knocked dead three people in a hit-and-run accident at Namengo, Namagumba along Mbale-Sironko road.
The deceased persons were travelling on a motorcycle Bajaj boxer registration number UFD 919G and they included Nyongeza Daniel (the rider), 48, and a resident of Bubulo village, Bunambutye sub-county in Bulambuli district.
Others were the passengers in the motorcycle identified as Sifuma Peter, 79, and Makhoka Patrick, 62, all residents of Bubulo village, Bunambutye sub-county in Bulambuli district.
Elgon regional police spokesperson SP Rogers Taitika has confirmed the crash saying preliminary reports show that the crash occurred when the motorcycle occupants collided with the oncoming Noah as they tried to dodge crashing into a truck which made an abrupt turn causing the rider to switch to the right lane.
“It’s alleged that motorcycle UFD 919G was from Sironko heading to Mbale and on reaching Namengo, Namagumba cell, a yet-to-be-identified truck from Mbale made an abrupt turning on its right-hand side to Elgon Technical College forcing the rider to swerve on his right before colliding head-on with the oncoming motor vehicle UBE 648A killing its two passengers on spot,” SP Taitika said.
The motorcycle rider according to SP Taitika was rushed to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
By press time on Saturday evening, the bodies of the deceased were still lying at Mbale city mortuary while the motor vehicles involved in the accident were towed to Mbale Northern Division Headquarters pending inspection by the Inspector Of Vehicle (IOV) as inquiries go on.
SP Taitika has warned all road users against indiscipline along various roads and called upon them to follow traffic rules to minimize the number of accidents which have cost a number of lives.
In a recent traffic accident report released by traffic police in July 2023, a total of 432 accidents were recorded, with 97 being fatal, 202 were serious and 133 were minor.
Among the 424 victims, 100 lost their lives, while 324 sustained injuries. The fatalities included 42 motorcycle riders (13 passengers and 29 riders) as well as 40 pedestrians.
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