KYOTERA.Police have confirmed that they have lost one of their own and three others injured after a speeding trailer rammed into a stationary police patrol vehicle at a checkpoint along the Masaka-Kyotera –Mutukula Road, police said.
The Saturday 4:00 a.m. crash occurred at Kasanvu when a Mercedes-Benz trailer, registration numbers T824 DXF/T529 EFJ, lost control and collided with a Uganda Police Land Cruiser, UP 2914 T, which was parked near a checkpoint with officers on board.
The impact crushed the patrol vehicle beneath the trailer.
“The driver of the police vehicle died on the spot, while three of our officers sustained injuries and are receiving treatment,” said Traffic Police spokesperson Michael Kananura.
“Our preliminary findings show that the trailer was being driven by a turn-man while the actual driver was resting — a reckless and illegal act that cost a life.”
Kananura said the turn-man has been arrested while the trailer’s main driver is still on the run.
He warned that the police would intensify enforcement against unlicensed truck drivers, particularly along high-risk routes such as the –Masaka-Kyotera –Mutukula highway which is currently under construction .
“We strongly caution truckers to desist from training turn-men on the job. Allowing untrained people to operate heavy trucks puts their lives and those of other road users in grave danger,” Kananura added.
He further urged motorists to “respect speed limits even when police are not in sight” and “exercise extreme caution during night hours when visibility is poor.”
Kananura expressed condolences to the family of the deceased officer and assured the public that investigations are underway to bring all those responsible to justice.
Road carnage continue to be Uganda’s leading cause of death .
According to the Uganda Police Annual Traffic Report 2024, the country registered 23,608 road crashes, claiming 4,806 lives and injuring 12,487 people — a 15 percent rise in fatalities compared to 2023. Speeding and human error accounted for over 60 percent of all road accidents.