Tanker-motorbike collision kills mother and child in Lira

On Saturday, March 1, 2025, tragedy struck when two people were killed in a fatal road crash on the Lira-Soroti highway.

The incident, which involved a fuel tanker and a motorcycle, happened in Boroboro at around 11:00 am.

The accident involved a Volvo fuel tanker (CGO 5448AC19/SSD 066N) carrying diesel from Soroti to Lira City.

Otim Bosco was riding a Bajaj Boxer motorcycle, registration number UEK 749, when the tanker collided with it.

Otim was carrying a female passenger, Akello Juliet, 19, and her 5-month-old daughter, Alobo Daniella. Both the mother and the child lived in Adwila, Lira City’s East Division.

SP Jimmy Patrick Okema, the police PRO for North Kyoga Region, confirmed the incident to the media.

According to preliminary investigations, the driver of the fuel tanker attempted to overtake an unidentified vehicle traveling in the same direction. The tanker collided with the motorcycle Akello Juliet and her infant daughter in an instant.

SP Okema stated that the police were immediately notified, and a team of officers arrived at the scene. The motorcycle rider was taken to an unidentified clinic for treatment, while the bodies of the deceased were transported to the Lira Regional Referral Hospital mortuary for postmortem examination.

The fuel tanker remains at the scene of the crash, while the motorcycle was taken to Lira City CPS police yard, pending an Inspection of Vehicles (IOV) examination.

Okema revealed that the tanker driver was arrested and is currently being held at the Lira City CPS while investigations continue.

According to SP Okema, preliminary findings indicate that the fatal crash was caused by careless driving by the driver of the fuel tanker.

“The police are conducting further investigations to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.”

Some people are now calling for stricter enforcement of traffic laws to prevent similar incidents in the future. The loss of a young mother and her infant has particularly saddened Adwila residents and the larger Lira community.

As the investigation continues, authorities are urging all road users to exercise caution and follow traffic rules to avoid further fatalities on the highways.