Police in Greater Bushenyi Region are investigating circumstances surrounding a fatal road crash that left one person dead and 12 others injured along the Bushenyi–Mbarara Road in Sheema District.
The accident occurred at about 11:30pm on Friday at Nyamufumura in Sheema District and involved an Isuzu light truck registration number UBA 251A, whose driver is currently on the run.
According to police, the vehicle was transporting market vendors from Sheema towards Bushenyi when the driver reportedly lost control before the truck veered off the road and overturned.
The deceased was identified only as Kijere, a male adult market vendor who died instantly at the scene.
Twelve other vendors who were travelling in the same vehicle sustained injuries and were rushed to Sheema Health Centre IV for treatment.
Speaking on the incident, Greater Bushenyi Region Police spokesperson Apollo Tayebwa said preliminary findings point to reckless driving as the likely cause of the crash.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that reckless driving is the suspected cause of the accident,” Tayebwa said.
Police officers later visited and documented the scene before conveying the body of the deceased to Sheema Health Centre IV pending postmortem examination.
The damaged vehicle was towed to Sheema Police Station, awaiting inspection by the Inspector of Vehicles (IOV).
Tayebwa said investigations into the crash are ongoing, adding that efforts to trace the driver have intensified.
“We appeal to anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the driver to report to the nearest police station,” he said.
Police also used the incident to warn members of the public against travelling in cargo vehicles, saying the practice continues to endanger lives, especially among traders and market vendors.
“The Uganda Police Force strongly condemns the practice of passengers boarding vehicles designated for transporting goods. We urge vendors and members of the public to always use licensed passenger service vehicles for transport and reserve cargo vehicles strictly for goods,” Tayebwa said.
Road crashes involving traders travelling in cargo trucks remain common on highways across Uganda, often attributed to overloading, speeding, and reckless driving.