Two killed, four injured in Arua road crash

Two people have died and four others sustained injuries following a head-on collision at Manibe Ward, Ayivu Division, Arua City, along the Arua-Koboko road.

The accident, which occurred at about 7:30 pm on Sunday, involved a Toyota Corolla and a Toyota Harrier motor vehicles.  

One of the victims who died on the spot has been identified by the police as Jamal Abdul Maliki, a senior clinical officer working with Koboko District Local Government. The other is a driver of one of the motor vehicles who was not yet identified by press time Monday morning.

The West Nile Regional Police Spokesperson, Ms Josephine Angucia, said that preliminary investigations indicate that the Toyota Harrier, which was travelling from the Koboko side, lost control and collided with the Toyota Corolla coming from Arua City.

"Preliminary investigations indicate the cause of the accident to be carelessness and inconsiderate use of the motor vehicle by the driver of the Toyota Harrier, who veered out of his lane and collided with another vehicle," she said. 

The injured are now receiving treatment at Arua Regional Referral Hospital. The Koboko District Chairperson, Mr Mambo Ashiraf, said Jamal was a resourceful person.

"Jamal Abdul Malik was also a student at the Islamic University in Uganda-Arua Campus. He was returning from the weekend lectures in Arua. He first served as In charge of Ombokodo Health Centre III in Lobule sub-county before being transferred to Ludara's Arindrue Health III,” he said.

The Uganda Bureau of Statistics accident safety index (ASI) puts the death records at 18 deaths per 100 accident crashes whereas the Uganda Police Force Crime and Traffic Road Safety Report 2023 indicates an average of 50 road crashes every day of which 17 per cent are fatal and 74 per cent are serious with severe injuries.

The recently released 2023 police and traffic accident report indicates an increase of 35 per cent in road crashes from the previous year.

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