An 18-year-old student of Rock High School in Kabale District has died following a hit-and-run road accident at Nyakigugwe along the Kabale–Mbarara highway.
The deceased, identified as Julius Akampurira, was a resident of Nyamishage Village in Kaharo Sub-county. The accident occurred on Saturday at around 7:40 p.m.
Police say the incident involved a black Toyota Axio, registration number UBH 877D, which was traveling from Kabale towards Mbarara. The vehicle knocked two pedestrians who were walking in the same direction.
Another victim, Ameria Kobusingye, a 28-year-old student of Wakiso Seeds Secondary School in Wakiso District and a resident of Lyakaremera Village, Kaharo Sub-county, sustained injuries and is currently receiving treatment.
According to police, the driver, whose identity has not yet been established, lost control of the vehicle at Nyakigugwe before hitting the pedestrians. After the crash, the driver fled the scene towards Mbarara. The vehicle was later intercepted by police at Bukinda in Rukiga District, where the driver abandoned it and escaped.
Both victims were rushed to Kabale Regional Referral Hospital for medical attention. However, Akampurira was pronounced dead upon arrival due to injuries sustained in the accident.
The Kigezi Region Police Spokesperson, Elly Maate, confirmed that the scene was visited, processed, and documented. He noted that preliminary investigations indicate reckless driving as the primary cause of the accident.
Maate added that the vehicle involved has been impounded at the police yard pending inspection by the Inspector of Vehicles (IOV). The body of the deceased has been conveyed to Kabale Regional Referral Hospital mortuary for postmortem examination.
Police say the driver remains at large, and efforts to trace and arrest him are ongoing.
