16 Lives lost in 3 accidents

Sixteen people died in three separate accidents in three different parts of the country between last Saturday and the dawn of yesterday.

The bloodiest of the accidents, which claimed 13 lives, occurred at Alipe, near Yapei in the Central Gonja municipality in the Savannah, last Tuesday

In the other accidents, two persons died when a Mercedes Benz 207 bus crashed into a faulty Togolese-registered articulated truck parked in the middle of the road at Tesano in Accra at dawn yesterday, while in Cape Coast, a 19-year-old Level 100 Bachelor of Commerce student of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Priscilla Owusu Achiaw, was knocked down by a speeding Mercedes Sprinter bus at Ayensudo, near the UCC Satellite campus of the Nduom School of Business and Technology last Saturday. She died four days later from her injuries.

Alipe accident

In the Alipe accident, Mohammed Fugu reports from Yapei that seven others sustained varied degrees of injury.

The accident occurred when a Toyota mini bus, with registration number AS 2872 – 20 and transporting 18 passengers from Tamale to Kumasi, was involved in a head-on collision with a DAF tipper truck, with registration number NR 578 – F, which was heading towards Tamale from the direction of Yapei.

The Central Gonja District Police Commander, Superintendent Kwame Nimo, who briefed the media, said the accident occurred about 7 p.m.last Tuesday  after the driver of the mini bus, Akonsi Sumaila, now deceased, had allegedly veered of his lane and rammed into the tipper truck.

He added that the injured had been rushed to the Tamale Teaching Hospital for treatment, while the remains of the deceased had been put in the morgue of the same facility for autopsy and investigations.

Supt Nimo said the accident vehicles had since been towed to the Central Gonja Police Station to assist in investigations.

He appealed to the public to help identify the deceased.

Accidents

The Buipe-Yapei-Tamale highway has been noted for road crashes for years. Already, the first quarter of this year has seen at least three accidents being recorded in the area, resulting in the loss of many lives, with many others getting injured.

The road is very motorable and it is unclear what could be causing the accidents.

Tesano

From Tesano in Accra, Emelia Ennin Abbey reports that the victims in the accident that occurred there were the driver of the Sprinter bus and a teenage girl.

The truck, with a foreign number plate, was loaded with 220 bags of onions and was parked in the inner lane of the road.

The deceased have been identified as Kwasi Appiah, 53, the driver of a Hyundai H100 minibus, and Miriam Owusu, 17.

Seven other passengers on the minibus who sustained injuries were taken to three hospitals — Achimota, Police and Korle Bu — for treatment.

No warning triangle

The Public Relations Officer of the Accra Regional Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police Mrs Effia Tenge, who confirmed the accident to the Daily Graphic, said it happened about 4:45 a.m. yesterday.

She said the minibus, loaded with assorted items and 14 passengers, was from Akyem Kade and was heading towards Accra Central.

On reaching a section of the road at Tesano, about a few metres away from the Tsikata traffic light, it crashed into a stationary Volvo articulated truck, with registration number TG 1115 BA.

The driver of the stationary vehicle, Adams Rabiu, 43, has since been arrested by the police.

Mrs Tenge said Rabiu claimed the truck had developed a mechanical fault and he parked it in the inner lane without displaying a warning triangle to alert other road users.

The seven passengers on the minibus sustained injuries and were taken to three hospitals for medical attention.

Appiah and Miriam were pronounced dead by the medical doctor on duty when they were taken to the Police Hospital.

Their bodies have been deposited at the morgue of the same hospital, while the vehicles have been towed from the middle of the road to free the road.

UCC

The Saltpond Police confirmed that 19-year-old Ms Owusu-Achiaw was hit by a speeding Sprinter bus last Saturday, but she died four days later at the hospital, report Shirley Asiedu-Addo and Edith Mensah.

The driver of the bus, who reported himself to the police, has been granted bail and the docket forwarded to the Attorney-General’s office for advice.

Earlier, the management of the UCC had confirmed the death of its student through a statement.

The statement, signed by the university’s Director of Public Affairs, Major Kofi Baah-Bentum (Rtd), said the unfortunate incident happened when the victim was knocked down by a speeding Sprinter bus.

He said Ms Owusu Achiaw “was in the company of her friends to buy some food items when the Sprinter bus, which was overtaking another car, knocked her.

“The incident happened on Saturday, April 10, 2021 and she passed away about 11.30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 13, 2021,” it added.

It further indicated that the family of the deceased had been informed about the tragic incident and the Saltpond Police had begun investigations.

“The university management extends its condolences to the bereaved family,” the statement added.