UPDF officer dies in Namutumba road crash
The wreckage of the vehicle in which the soldier was traveling at the time of his death. On the right are people and police gathered at the accident scene on March 29, 2023. PHOTO/SCREENGRAB
What you need to know:
- Police say the soldier who died on spot was attached to Olillim Training School.
One UPDF officer died on spot and two other people sustained severe injuries following an accident in Namutumba District, traffic police have confirmed.
According to traffic police, Maj Alex Aceta perished in the accident at Mazuba Village along the Mbale-Iganga Highway on Wednesday.
"The accident involved two vehicles including a TX Prado that was being driven by 51-year-old Warrant Officer Mathias Ssefoloza who is attached to Olillim Training School," traffic police spokesperson ASP Faridah Nampiima said in a statement.
ASP Nampiima explained that the Prado driver lost control of his vehicle and knocked a boom truck which had parked off the road, killing the serviceman with whom they were travelling.
"The Prado was from Iganga heading to Mbale. Two people sustained injuries and were all rushed to Iganga Hospital where they are receiving treatment," ASP Nampiima noted on Wednesday.
Police say Maj Aceta was also attached to Olillim Training School.
A 2022 report by the World Health Organization ranks Uganda among the countries with the highest traffic death rates, estimated at 29 car deaths per 100,000 people.
Police frequently attribute the causes of accidents to over speeding, driving cars in bad or dangerous mechanical conditions, drivers drifting from one lane to another, over loading and failure to respect road signs among others.
