Sources: Truck that plunged into River Nile was fleeing patrol vehicle
The cargo truck UAT 113F that veered off Karuma bridge on Tuesday, June 20 and plunged into River Nile may have been fleeing law enforcement.
Sources indicate the driver James Tumusiime was driving very fast to elude law enforcement which may have contributd to the accident.
The truck that plunged into the river
Truckers who knew the deceased and spoke to this journalist on the condition of anonymity said their colleague was coming from South Sudan but when he reached West Nile, he loaded charcoal which is illegal.
On his way towards Karuma, it is said that he came across a yet to be established enforcement patrol vehicle which started pursuing him until they came to Karuma bridge when the driver lost control.
The patrol vehicle withdrew from the chase after the truck fell into the water.
Police spokesperson Fred Enanga denied knowledge of the claims that a law enforcement vehicle was pursuing the truck.
Enanga, however, noted that the route has numerous checkpoints where the trucker would have been intercepted if he was carrying illegal cargo.
He added that the ill-fated truck owner is yet to make a statement about the cargo that the truck was carrying.
He said that police is waiting, “Until we retrieve the container that is when we shall confirm what it was carrying.”
Truckers claim they feel safe from apprehension after they cross the Karuma bridge while transporting illegal charcoal from West Nile.
On Thursday, the marine rescue teams from the joint security agencies discovered the container wreckage 17km on the banks of river Nile towards Pakwach district.
Meanwhile, the teams are still searching for the tractor head number UAT 113F that was transporting this container.
