Kikuube police car crash death toll rises to nine as driver dies
The wreckage of a police patrol vehicle is seen in the aftermath of a road crash that left officers and civilians dead in Hoima District on July 18, 2024. PHOTO/JOSEPH KASUMBA
What you need to know:
- "We thought the driver would be treated and give us an account of what happened," a police spokesperson said.
Raymond Nuwamanya, the driver of a Kikuube District police patrol car which crash-killed 8 people on Thursday afternoon died in the night, raising the incident toll to nine, authorities have said.
“We got one with air in the brain and we had to refer him to Mulago National Hospital. Unfortunately, he died along the way,” Hoima Regional Referral Hospital Dr Isooba Safiyu said on Friday, confirming his death.
Police early Friday identified causalities of the July 18 crash along the Kabaale-Kiziranfumbi-Hohwa Road in Hoima District.
Among the deceased was the retiring Kikuube District Directorate of Crime Intelligence (DCI) chief Charles Matubua Avinzo, three other detectives, Nuwamanya and three murder suspects.
Deceased Kikuube District DCI, D/IP Charles Matubua Avinzo. PHOTO/COURTESY
One of the three suspects identified as Peace Tukamusaba perished with her 6-month-old baby during the crash allegedly occurring after Nuwamanya lost control of the police vehicle in Kiteegwa B Village, Kabaale Sub-county.
Authorities say the suspects were accused of murdering Kyarushesha Village resident Apollo Mwesigye of Kabwoya Sub-County.
At the time of the crash, investigators were leading suspects to the village in Kikuuube District for a crime scene reconstruction as part of a murder probe.
Communication by Kikuube District Police Commander Miraji Kasangaki initially marked eight onboard people as survivors, including two other suspects, Nuwamanya and 5 other police officers.
His death means survivors remain seven with most of these under critical care at Hoima Regional Referral Hospital.
“At least two of the officers are not in a dangerous state. I hope they will be recovering,” Kikuube District chairperson Peter Banura told journalists at Hoima Hospital on Friday.
Heavily head-bandaged Julius Kabagambe, who is one of the murder suspects who survived, said he was cut on the nose by wreckage, adding that: “I still feel headache.”
While eyewitnesses firstly attributed the accident to speeding, Albertine Region Police spokesperson Julius Hakiza said: “We thought the driver would be treated and give us an account of what happened.”
He added: “We cannot ascertain the cause of the accident but most of our accidents here are attributed to reckless driving.”
Locals gather at an accident scene following a road crash that left many officers and civilians dead in Hoima District on July 18, 2024. PHOTO/JOSEPH KASUMBA
As law enforcers cut wreckage of the damaged patrol to remove bodies on Thursday, Kikuube Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Amlan Tumusiime urged caution as he condemned disregard of traffic rules, leading to rampant road crashes.
“The report released by police's Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety indicated that the Albertine Region was leading in fatal accidents,” he noted.
Early this week, about four family members were reportedly crashed in neighboring Hoima City, which is also in the Albertine region.
FULL LIST: POLICE CAR CRASH CASUALTIES
Deceased
- D/IP Charles Matubua Avinzo (DCI Kikuube District)
- D/AIP Gen Richard (in charge homicide desk)
- 49976 D/CPL Christine Cheruto (in charge gender desk)
- 66155 D/C Samuel Ojambo (CID personnel in homicide desk)
- 77435 C/DRV Raymond Nuwamanya (driver)
- Mubarak Lwamahe (suspect)
- Martin Munyuza (suspect)
- Peace Tukamusaba (suspect)
- Baby (Peace Tukamusaba’s daughter)
Survivors
- 34872 D/SGT Francis Bwango (2nd in charge homicide desk)
- 49119 PC Michael Omamu (in charge CT)
- 73528 PC Abel Nyiringiye (CT personnel)
- 74377 PC Johnson Tumusiime
- 1223 SPC Apollo Turinoha
- Julius Kabagambe (suspect)
- Jonathan Kamugisha (suspect)
