A 23-year-old man, Briana Ssettwalo, has been sentenced to six years in Morukatipe Prison after pleading guilty to multiple traffic offenses that resulted in injuries to four people.
Appearing before Tororo Principal Magistrate Elijah Iradukunda, Ssettwalo admitted to six charges including reckless driving, causing injury to four pedestrians, and driving without a valid license.
The offenses arose from a high-speed incident in Tororo Town last week, after police tracked a stolen Toyota Fielder, registration UA541AA, to a hideout in the district on July 31.
Upon noticing police were closing in, Ssettwalo attempted to flee but lost control of the vehicle, knocking down four residents of Kisoko Sub-county—Charles Oketcho, Topista Akongo, Mercy Akongo, and Charles Okello—who are receiving treatment at Tororo General Hospital.
While Ssettwalo denied stealing the vehicle, he admitted he was instructed to drive the stolen car to Tororo for delivery to another person.
In addition to the six-year jail term, the magistrate ordered a fine of Shs 700,000 for reckless driving causing bodily harm.
The charge of motor vehicle theft remains pending as police await an official complaint from the vehicle owner to proceed.
The court underscored the grave dangers of reckless driving and the need for strict accountability to protect innocent lives on the road.
