By Omony Denis
Three people have died while two others have been injured in a grisly road accident that occurred at 3:00am on Friday just half a kilometer away from Karuma checkpoint on the Gulu-Kampala highway.
Ongom David Mudong, the Aswa West Police Public Relations Officer in a statement said that a vehicle registration number SSD 770CK Toyota Hiace was heading to Juba through Gulu from Kampala when it collided with a Nile Star Bus heading to Kampala from Juba, South Sudan.
Mudong explained that the Toyota Hiace was trying to overtake another vehicle when it collided with the bus smashing the passenger’s side of the Toyota hiace vehicle killing three of the passengers and injuring two others.
The deceased are Aisha Namatovu, a female adult and resident of Kasese, and two other unidentified adults whose identified were not readily available. Two other people, Ramathan Shaban aged 28, a resident of Bombo and another unidentified victim sustained serious injuries.
Police have blamed the accident on reckless driving by the Toyota Hiace.
The deceased were taken to the Anaka hospital mortuary pending a postmortem while the injured were rushed to RG heath facility in Karuma Town Council.
Mudong said no arrest had been made since both drivers fled the scene.
According to the Police Annual Crime Report, 24,728 casualties were registered from road accidents in 2023.