Crime Intelligence Officer and family die in road crash

Masaka, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Cleopus Bwesigye, a crime intelligence officer from the Kampala Metropolitan South headquarters at Katwe has died in a road crash together with his wife and three children on the Masaka-Kampala highway.

The traffic police spokesperson, Faridah Nampiima explains that Bwesigye was traveling back to Kampala Saturday morning in a Toyota Wish UBE 756C, which got involved in a head-on collision with a Fuso Fighter truck UBH 902U at Kyarushowe swamp.

She identifies the other accident victims as Silomena Nyagoma 3, Felestine Nyakato 3, Darliton Kiiza 1 and their mother, Maria Kemigisha. According to the police, they were another person in the vehicle who has since been identified as Chrispus Twesigye who is suspected to be a brother to Bwesigye.

Quoting eyewitness accounts, Nampiima blames the accident on Bwesigye who reportedly left his lane and moved to the lane of the Fuso resulting in the head-on collision.

According to Police, all the occupants in the Toyota Wish died on spot. Their bodies have since been conveyed to Masaka City Mortuary for postmortem. Nampiima appeals to all road users to be vigilant and change their attitude while using the road.

The incident comes shortly after police released road crash statistics for the month of June and early July showing that 435 people died and more than 1300 escaped with injuries from crashes. Road safety activist and the director of Hope for Victims of Traffic Accidents Victims (HOVITA), Sam Bambanza, says there are several risk factors causing crashes on Ugandan roads that need urgent redress.

Risk factor means anything that contributes to road crashes or injuries. According to the World Health Organisation and road safety advocates, most road crashes are caused by speeding, drunk driving, not wearing seatbelts and not wearing crash helmets.

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