Written By | Joshua Nahamya
A reporter with NBS is feared to have also perished in road accident
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KIRUHURA –
A horrific road accident claimed the lives of at least eight people on Friday evening at Kibega 1 village along the Mbarara-Lyantonde highway. The fatal collision, which occurred at approximately 6:30 PM, involved a white Toyota Hiace (UBQ 016U) and a Mercedes-Benz Actros trailer (KDQ 668L/ZH 5133). According to police reports, all the deceased and the lone survivor were occupants of the Toyota Hiace.
Some of the bodies after the accident that happened on Friday evening
Preliminary investigations suggest that the Toyota Hiace, which was traveling from Mbarara toward Lyantonde, attempted to overtake another vehicle at a sharp corner. This maneuver resulted in a head-on collision with the oncoming trailer, which was traveling in its designated lane from Lyantonde toward Mbarara.
By press time, the scene remained grim as emergency responders worked to extricate victims. “Four bodies of the deceased are still stuck in the vehicle, but efforts to retrieve them are still ongoing,” Samson Kasasira-Rwizi region Spokesperson reported The sole survivor of the crash was rushed to Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital in critical condition for emergency treatment.
A trailer was rammed at Kibega I village along the Mbarara-Lyantonde highway
Tragedy has also touched the media fraternity, with unconfirmed reports suggesting that Julius Kitone, a reporter with NBS Television who was traveling for work, is feared to be among the deceased. Police stated that formal identification of all victims is currently underway.
Toyota Hiace involved in Mbarara-Lyantonde highway carnage
Samson Kasasira, the Police Spokesperson for Rwizi Region, attributed the tragedy to human error. “The cause of the accident was reckless driving,” Kasasira stated. He issued a stern warning to motorists, urging them to exercise caution and strictly adhere to traffic regulations. “We urge all road users, especially drivers, to respect traffic rules—most especially avoiding over speeding and dangerous overtaking in corners.”
The accident has once again highlighted the dangers of the Mbarara-Lyantonde stretch, a notorious black spot for high-speed collisions.
Torch Media Africa
