KIRUHURA -Police in Kiruhura District have registered a fatal road traffic accident that occurred on Thursday, February 13, 2026, at around 6:30 p.m. at Kibega I Village along the Mbarara–Lyantonde Highway.
The crash involved a white Toyota Hiace (registration number UBQ 016U) and a Mercedes Benz Actros trailer (registration numbers KDQ 668L / ZH 5133).
Eight people lost their lives on the spot, while one survivor sustained serious injuries and was rushed to Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital for treatment.
All the victims were occupants of the Toyota Hiace.According to preliminary police findings, the Toyota Hiace was traveling from Mbarara heading to Lyantonde, while the trailer was coming from Lyantonde toward Mbarara.
“It is alleged that the driver of the Toyota Hiace attempted to overtake another vehicle at a corner and ended up colliding head-on with the oncoming trailer which was in its rightful lane,” police said in a statement.
Police further confirmed that four bodies of the deceased were still trapped inside the wreckage by press time.
“Four bodies remain stuck in the vehicle, and efforts to retrieve them are still ongoing,” the police added.
“Identification of the deceased has not yet been completed, and we shall provide more details once the process is concluded.”
The lone survivor was rushed to hospital in critical condition.“Our medical teams acted swiftly and transported the injured victim to Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital for specialized treatment,” police noted.
Preliminary investigations have attributed the cause of the accident to reckless driving.“The suspected cause of this tragic accident is reckless driving, particularly dangerous overtaking at a corner,” police said.
Traffic police have urged motorists to observe road safety regulations and avoid overtaking in blind spots and corners.
“We continue to appeal to all drivers to exercise maximum caution, especially on highways, so that such preventable loss of life can be avoided,” the statement concluded.
Investigations into the incident are still ongoing.
