On Saturday night, veteran politician and former Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Prof. Morris Ogenga Latigo, was involved in an accident on the Kampala-Gulu highway.
The incident occurred around 11:58 pm at Lubenge swamp in Luweero when a Mercedes Benz with the registration number UBG 961D, driven by Prof. Latigo, collided with a stationary sugarcane truck bearing the registration number UBJ 070B, a Tata truck owned by Victoria Sugar factory.
According to the police, the Tata truck, loaded with sugarcane from Masindi to Luwero, had run out of fuel and obstructed the flow of traffic from Gulu to Kampala. Subsequently, Prof. Latigo’s Mercedes Benz collided with the stationary Tata truck, resulting in minor injuries to the truck driver.
The police responded to the scene and transported Prof. Latigo to St. Ceasar Lacor Hospital for treatment.
The doctors are reportedly managing his condition well.
The accident led to the towing of both vehicles to Kakoge police station while awaiting an inspection by the Inspector of Vehicles.
A case of a serious accident has been registered, and a search is ongoing for the driver who fled the scene.
This accident highlights the recurring issue of stationary vehicles on the road, as just recently, two students lost their lives and 31 others were injured when a bus they were traveling in collided with a stationary trailer in Soroti.
The students were on a field trip to Jinja for their Geography studies.
Following a similar incident that claimed the life of businessman Apollo Nyegamahe (Aponye), the government had directed the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) and the police to ensure the prompt removal of abandoned vehicles from the roads.
However, it appears that this directive has not been effectively implemented, based on recent incidents.