Police accident blamed on reckless driving
One of the injured officers receives treatment at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital yesterday. PHOTO | TOBBIAS JOLLY OWINY
What you need to know:
- The police vehicle, registration number UP 5568, dark blue in colour, lost control and overturned at Lapuda Village, Paicho Sub-county in Gulu District on Gulu-Kitgum Highway.
Police have said reckless driving caused the Monday evening fatal accident in which a police pick-up truck overturned, killing two officers and critically injuring 13 others.
The police vehicle, registration number UP 5568, dark blue in colour, lost control and overturned at Lapuda Village, Paicho Sub-county in Gulu District on Gulu-Kitgum Highway.
Yesterday afternoon police confirmed that while Pius Epodoi died on the spot, Marvin Odong, the second victim, died while being rushed to Gulu Regional Referral Hospital for medical treatment.
The other 13 officers injured include ASP Joseph Okalebo, Jacob Odong, Junior Peter Opio, Kenneth Omara, Daniel Okello, James Candia, George Okura, Simon Ochora, Vicent Ekoju, Vicent Awuzu, John Okwera, Abraham Okure and driver Calvin Torac.
Ms Faridah Nampiima, the Traffic and Road Safety directorate spokesperson, in a statement, said investigations into the accident had commenced.
“The accident involved motor vehicle registration No UP 5568, Land Cruiser that overturned. All officers are attached to FFU [Field Force Unit] - Aswa Region. Investigations into the cause of the accident have started,” she stated. It was established that the vehicle was carrying personnel from Gulu heading to Agago for special duty when it overturned.
Survivors’ accounts indicate that the vehicle’s driver Torac was speeding when the vehicle hit a hump and lost control, causing it to overturn.
Mr Omara, one of the FFU officers attached to Gulu Central Police Station, who sustained injuries, said the vehicle was speeding before it hit a hump near Paicho Trading Centre and overturned.
“He [driver] was driving very fast when he eventually hit a hump. I broke my left leg and bruised my face, arms and back when I jumped off the vehicle to avoid being crushed under the falling vehicle,” Mr Omara said.
Mr Leonard Ojok, the Agago District chairman, said: “One died on the spot and the other one could not make it to the hospital. Some of the victims are at Gulu referral hospital in critical conditions.”
It is also reported that the pick-up truck was overloaded.
“The team had also overcrowded on the pick-up vehicle. There was a disagreement right at the station before setting off about whether to let them use a lorry instead of squeezing on the pickup,” one officer, who preferred anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press, said.
He added: “The scene was this (yesterday) morning visited by Regional Police Commander Damalie Nachuha, Regional Traffic Officer for Aswa Peninah Magambe and Gulu City Police Commander. The bodies of the deceased have been evacuated to the Gulu hospital.”
What we know so far
This newspaper established that by 2pm yesterday, none of the crash survivors had undertaken an x-ray or scan since the electricity supply at the hospital was unstable and the CT scan machine at the facility is yet to be installed. Also, we established that a case file TAR-390/2022 had been opened as investigations continue.
