A vehicle belonging to the Internal Affairs Ministry has knocked dead a traffic police officer and two other people along Soroti- Dokolo- Lira Highway.
The accident happened on Thursday at Awelu Village, Abeli parish at the border between Lira and Kole districts.
The dead are Micah Muhindo, a traffic officer from Lira City Central Police Station, Bob Ojok, a motorcycle rider and staff of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation Lira branch, and Evester Akello, a 16-year- old student of Amach modern secondary school.
Two other people including Richard Angullo, 58, and Robby Akidi, 14, escaped with injuries and are receiving treatment at Lira Regional Referral Hospital (LRRH).
Eye witness accounts show that Constable John Oginere, who was driving the Internal Affairs Ford Ranger double cabin Reg No UG 0337G first knocked a motorcycle Reg No UEU 841C that Ojok was riding and went ahead to knock two ladies who were on their way to the garden before it lost control and veered off the road thus knocking Muhindo.
A boda- boda rider had just dropped off the traffic officer at the spot for his official duty. The eyewitnesses blame the accident on speeding by the driver.
Patrick Jimmy Okema, the North Kyoga Police Spokesperson, who confirmed the accident, said they are yet to establish the cause. He explains that a team of traffic police officers from Lira CPS visited the scene to establish the cause of the accident.
Okema who acknowledges that the rate of road crashes is steadily raising in the region cautioned road users to be more careful, especially during this festive season.
Rashid Acup, a resident of Lira City blames traffic officers for always crowding the road with motorcycles and vehicles instead of liaising with other traffic officers ahead to check the vehicles.
Geoffrey Richard Olila, a resident of the area described the late officer as “an obedient man” who loved his job and always helped the people around him.
Police have conveyed the deceased’s bodies to LRRH Mortuary pending postmortem whereas the Motorcycle and vehicle are parked at Lira City CPS pending inspection.
