Police in the Wamala Region have issued a renewed warning to motorists and other road users following an increase in road traffic accidents recorded across major highways in the region over the past two months.
According to Lameck Kigozi, the accidents have mainly occurred along key transport corridors including the Kampala-Mityana District-Mubende District-Fort Portal-Kasese District highway as well as the Kampala-Wakiso District-Kiboga District-Kyankwanzi District-Hoima District road.
He said police have registered several crashes in the past two months, including two serious accidents reported within the last 24 hours.
"We are once again cautioning all road users along highways passing through Wamala Region to exercise maximum care because the number of accidents has recently increased," Kigozi said.
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One of the latest incidents occurred at around 2:00am in Kiyinda A cell where a pedestrian was knocked by an unidentified vehicle suspected to have been traveling from Kampala towards Mubende.
Police say the victim, an unidentified adult male, was walking along the roadside in Kiyinda A Cell when the vehicle hit him and sped off, leaving him dead at the scene.
Traffic officers from the Uganda Police Force attached to the Mityana Traffic Department responded to the incident and transported the body to Mityana General Hospital mortuary for post-mortem and identification.
Kigozi appealed to residents in surrounding areas including Kiyinda, Wabigalo and Tamu within Mityana Municipality to help identify the deceased.
"We are requesting residents who may be missing a male relative or acquaintance to visit the mortuary at Mityana General Hospital so that the body can be identified and handed over to the family for burial," he said.
In a separate accident reported on the Kiboga District-Hoima District highway, four people survived after a trailer they were traveling in lost control and crashed into a building.
The accident happened at about 3:00 p.m. when a Mercedes-Benz trailer, registration number UBD 304P with trailer UAW 329T, suffered a tyre burst while moving from Kiboga towards Hoima. The driver lost control, causing the vehicle to veer off the road and ram into a nearby structure.
Police identified the survivors as Businge Vincent, Kalubanga Edison, and Kusima Herbert, all businessmen from Hoima District, as well as Ochene Hozbon, a Kenyan national.
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Emergency responders rescued the victims from the wreckage before they were rushed to Hoima Regional Referral Hospital for medical treatment.
Following the recent incidents, police are urging motorists and vehicle owners to prioritize road safety and ensure that their vehicles are mechanically fit before using them on highways.
"Vehicle owners must ensure their vehicles are in good mechanical condition before putting them on the road because mechanical failures such as tyre bursts can easily lead to fatal accidents," Kigozi said.
Police say they will continue monitoring traffic along major highways in the region while urging pedestrians, drivers and passengers to observe road safety measures in order to reduce accidents.
