Lesson #1: If you Hit, you Must Run

If you “knock” someone, don’t stop to lend a helping hand. Basically, what I mean is, if you hit someone, anyone, with your car/jeep/truck you keep driving until you reach a police station. As I have mentioned, driving in Arua is not easy. Although I have never driven here, I know that being a driver in Arua should be listed as the most deadliest job.

First, there are deadly accidents here due to poor roads, sleeping at the wheel, driving intoxicated, and inattentive people driving too fast. On the bus ride back from Kampala the other weekend, I saw a terrible vehicle crash. There was a totaled jeep sitting on the side of the road. The next day I read that Latigo, the opposition leader, had been in an accident. At 3am, a GaaGaa bus and his jeep collided head on. His driver and friend died. He survived and was brought to the hospital. The jeep that I saw, which basically no longer existed, had been that of this leader. You can read about the accident online.

Second, and this is where the lesson #1 comes in, a few days later, I heard a story of a man who was driving and he knocked a little girl. I am not sure whose fault (sometimes boda boda drivers are not paying attention and cut you off- children run into the road causing you to slam on your breaks). You always have to be a defensive driver. Anyway, this man hit a girl, got out to pick her up and drive her to a hospital. He never got the chance. The villagers beat him until they thought he was dead. The little girl did not survive. The man did, but now has severe brain damage and will never be the same.

On the same sad note, there was a district leader from here, who was driving through Nebbi District. It was told that he was even driving amongst his tribe members- through his home villages. He knocked someone and was killed on the spot by the villagers.

I was told by many to NEVER stop at any scene where someone was knocked. This saddened me, as I have the skills to administer CPR and the resources to bring someone to the nearest health facility. However, you don’t want to be mistaken for the person who knocked the son or daughter, father or mother, auntie or uncle, or friend of the villagers. The best is to go to the police station up the road (who knows how far that would be) and report it. The person’s life will mostly not be saved, but yours will. So, if one were to stay or help, 2 lives would be gone. If you left the scene, only 1 would be lost. I can’t believe that this is even has to be a choice. But the rage of the villagers is more than one could survive.