Kalungu, Uganda: At least 14 people, including the driver of a commuter taxi, were killed in a horrific head-on collision involving a sand-laden truck at Kamuwunga Trading Centre along the Lwera Swamp section of the Kampala–Masaka Highway late Monday night.
The crash, which occurred at about 11:40 pm, involved a white Toyota Hiace taxi, registration number UA 662AQ, driven by Ssembatya Abdul Karim of Masaka City, and a red Sino truck, registration number UBS 040F, which was transporting sand. Police said the truck driver fled the scene immediately after the collision and remains at large.
According to preliminary investigations, the taxi was travelling from Kampala towards Masaka when it collided head-on with the oncoming truck. Police allege that the truck driver attempted to avoid road humps installed on his lane because of ongoing road construction.
In the process, he reportedly crossed into the opposite lane and rammed into the taxi, which was travelling on its correct side of the road.
The impact was so severe that the two vehicles became locked together, with the heavily loaded truck pushing the taxi backwards for approximately 30 metres from the point of collision. Police have since identified reckless driving by the truck driver as the suspected cause of the crash.
The victims who died at the scene include taxi driver Ssembatya Abdul Karim of Masaka City, Alice Gracious Alobo, 30, of Opit Town Council in Omoro District, Kizza Moses, 30, of Kyetume in Kyotera District, Joanita Natondwa, 23, of Masaka City, Aidah Namajja, 52, of Masaka City, Lawrence Ssebuuma, 34, of Mabaale-Kifuufu in Kyotera District, Margaret Nabbosa, 36, of Zirobwe Town Council in Luwero District, Veronica Nabbulime and her juvenile daughter, Kizza Moses, 27, Innocent Irora, 39, of Kyegegwa Town Council and an employee of Coca-Cola Namanve, Police Sergeant Nabukeya, service number 44616, whose duty station had not yet been established, and two unidentified adult males. Police said efforts are underway to establish the identities of the unidentified victims and notify their next of kin.
Four people survived the crash and are receiving treatment at Masaka Regional Referral Hospital. They include Edward Kaiga, 22, who was travelling aboard the Sino truck, two unidentified male passengers from the taxi, and another unidentified male occupant of the truck.
According to police, the injured were evacuated by a Red Cross ambulance, while the bodies of the deceased were conveyed to the hospital mortuary for postmortem examination.
Traffic officers from Masaka East, the Kalungu District Police Commander and other police personnel visited the scene, documented evidence and supervised the recovery operation. Both vehicles were towed to Lukaya Police Yard pending inspection by the Inspector of Vehicles as investigations continue.
Police have since launched a manhunt for the truck driver, who remains on the run. “The suspected cause of the crash is reckless driving by the driver of the Sino truck,” police said.
The latest tragedy has once again raised concerns about road safety along the busy Kampala–Masaka Highway, particularly the Lwera Swamp stretch, where heavy cargo traffic, ongoing road works and dangerous overtaking have contributed to several fatal crashes over the years.
Authorities have urged motorists to exercise caution, obey traffic regulations and remain vigilant while driving through construction zones.
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