Lira City has been plunged into mourning following the death of Dr. Jasper Abura, the Lira City Education Officer, in a fatal road crash that occurred at Adwila Ward, along the Lira-Soroti Highway in Lira City East Division. The accident happened as Dr. Abura was returning from Kampala aboard a motor vehicle with registration number LG 0001-123, belonging to the Lira City Council Education Department.
The crash, which took place early Friday morning, also left two others seriously injured. Emmanuel Komakech, the City West Division Town Clerk, and Jacob Okello, the 39-year-old driver of the education department’s vehicle. Both were rushed to Lira Regional Referral Hospital, where they are currently receiving treatment for serious injuries.
According to North Kyoga Regional Police Spokesperson, SP Jimmy Patrick Okema, Dr. Abura died on the spot when their vehicle overturned multiple times after being struck by a moving trailer. Okema explained that the driver lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the road and overturned about five meters away from the highway.
“One Abura Jasper was confirmed dead on the spot. When they reached Adwila, the vehicle collided with a yet-to-be-identified trailer that was heading toward Soroti. However, the impact on the vehicle doesn’t reflect a typical collision, and we are working to reconstruct the scene to determine the exact cause of the accident,” Okema said. He added that the police are in contact with other law enforcement units to track down the trailer and arrest the driver involved.
“We shall do our best to establish the cause of the accident. Efforts to trace the trailer are ongoing, and we are in touch with police officers along the highway to impound the trailer and arrest the driver for investigation and possible prosecution,” Okema added.
Lillian Grace Ocare, the Lira City Deputy Clerk, expressed deep sorrow over the loss. “This is a very sad message we received this morning. It is a dark moment for us,” Ocare said.
Rashid Acup Ouni, the former headteacher of Ojwina Seed Secondary School in Lira and current Education Project Lead with Window International Uganda at Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement, praised the late Dr. Abura’s contributions to education in the region. “Dr. Abura made indelible footprints in Lango’s education. We will surely miss him because he still had much to offer,” Ouni said.
Dr. Abura’s body is currently at Lira Regional Referral Hospital’s mortuary pending a post-mortem examination. This tragic incident comes just four months after the death of Lira City Clerk, Theophilas Tibihika, in a road accident along the Lira-Kwania road.
Investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing.
ENDS
