KAMPALA, Uganda — The Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) has released a detailed report following a tragic rail-road collision that claimed the life of an American missionary and left her husband fighting for his life.
The fatal accident occurred on the evening of Friday, December 19, 2025, at the Wankoko level crossing in Bugolobi.
According to authorities, a commuter train traveling from Kampala to Namanve collided with a private Mitsubishi Pajero, registration number UBF 582X, which was attempting to navigate the busy crossing.
The vehicle was carrying four occupants, all American nationals serving with the Baptist International Missions, Inc. (BIMI) under the Baptism Mission in Uganda. The victims have been identified as Matthew Gardner, his wife Savannah Gardner, and their two young sons, Jedidiah (4) and Mason (1).
Savannah Gardner, who was seated in the co-driver’s seat, was tragically killed in the impact. Her husband, Matthew, sustained serious internal injuries and remains hospitalized in stable condition. Miraculously, the two young children were uninjured in the crash.
The URC has defended its safety protocols, noting that the crossing was fully manned at the time of the 5:37 PM incident. According to the corporation, the driver of the Pajero allegedly disregarded the safety signals in place.
“Traffic on all sides of the level crossing (Bugolobi, Port Bell Road, and 3rd Street) had come to a complete stop to allow the train to pass safely. However, the driver of the Pajero, an American national, attempted to cross the track, resulting in a collision with the oncoming train,” URC said in an official statement.
Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire, echoed these findings, stating that preliminary investigations suggest the crash was caused by “careless driving and failure to comply with hand signals issued by a railway police officer, who was on duty at the railway crossing at the time of the incident.”
Eyewitnesses reported that the force of the collision was so immense that the train pushed the vehicle approximately 200 meters down the tracks before coming to a stop.
The URC has since launched a comprehensive internal review of the event to prevent future occurrences. In their statement, the corporation emphasized their commitment to transparency:
“URC has instituted internal investigations and is fully cooperating with Uganda Police Force investigators to find out what exactly happened.”
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The tragedy has reignited a fierce debate over rail safety in Kampala’s industrial and residential hubs.
This is the fourth major accident involving the URC in 2025, prompting calls for more robust automated barriers at busy junctions like Wankoko.
For the missionary community in Uganda, the loss of Savannah Gardner, a graduate of West Coast Baptist College who moved to Uganda in 2019, has been met with an outpouring of grief.
Fellow missionaries are currently assisting with the care of the two young boys while Matthew’s father travels from the United States to join the family.
