Police officer killed in Ntungamo highway accident

A senior police officer in Rukiga district has died a day after sustaining injuries in a motor accident.

ASP Richard Kato Asiimwe, the Rukiga district police community liaisons officer was involved in an accident on Saturday at around 12:30 pm at Rwabahazi village, Muhanga central ward, Muhanga town council along Kabale-Ntungamo highway in western Uganda.

Elly Maate, Kigezi region police spokesperson says Asiimwe passed away on Sunday afternoon at Kabale Regional Referral hospital where he had been admitted following the accident.

Asiimwe, 59, was riding a Yamaha motorcycle, registration number UP 8582 and heading to Ntungamo from Muhanga. He was knocked by a speeding Toyota Canter truck, registration number UBF 422N which was heading to Muhanga from Rubaare town council in Ntungamo district.

The incident occurred when the truck, whose driver was identified as Lucky Asiimwe, a resident of Kagango ward, in Rubaare town council, lost control and crossed into the right side lane – knocking the police officer. In the process, the truck also knocked down a roadside tree whose branches hit and injured a 52-year-old man identified as Paul Barigye, a resident of Muhanga town council. 

Barigye died earlier at Kabale hospital on Saturday night just hours after the accident. Maate says that preliminary investigations point to overspeeding as the likely cause of the accident. After the accident, the truck driver reportedly fled the scene and is still on the run.