A juvenile motorcyclist was killed instantly on Tuesday afternoon after his motorcycle collided with a motor vehicle at Kinyamwenge in Hima Township, Kasese District, along the Kasese–Fort Portal Highway.
According to the Rwenzori East Regional Police, the fatal crash occurred at around 4:00 p.m. and involved a Toyota Corona registration number UBB 111A, driven by Francis Gumisiriza, and a Senke motorcycle registration number UFM 851J, ridden by a juvenile identified as Faruku Birungi.
Preliminary police investigations indicate that the motorcycle rider allegedly made an abrupt U-turn in the middle of the highway, leaving the vehicle driver with little time to avoid the collision.
“Our preliminary findings indicate that the juvenile rider attempted an abrupt U-turn in the middle of the highway before he was knocked by an oncoming vehicle,” police said.
The impact threw the rider onto the road, where he sustained fatal injuries and died instantly.
“The motorcycle suddenly turned in the road. The vehicle driver tried to avoid the collision, but it happened so fast. The rider died on the spot,” police added.
Traffic officers from Hima Police Division, led by Officer in Charge of Traffic Assistant Inspector of Police Naboth Kategaya, visited and documented the scene before the body was transported to Kasese Municipal Mortuary for a postmortem examination.
Both the motorcycle and the motor vehicle were towed to Hima Police Station pending inspection by the Inspector of Vehicles.
Rwenzori East Regional Police spokesperson ASP Elly Maate cautioned parents and guardians against allowing children to operate motorcycles or motor vehicles.
He said underage riders often lack the maturity and judgment required to make safe decisions on the road, putting their lives and those of other road users at risk.
“This tragedy is a reminder that road safety begins with respecting traffic laws. Children should never be allowed to ride motorcycles on public roads, and all road users must remain alert, especially on busy highways,” Maate said.
Police have since launched investigations to establish the full circumstances surrounding the crash.