Five die in gory accident at Omenako - First-half year deaths surpass 1,450
Five persons, including a driver, died on the spot in a gory accident which occurred at Omenako, near Suhum on the Accra-Kumasi highway in the Suhum municipality in the Eastern Region yesterday.
The accident, which occurred about 4:30 a.m., also left five others in critical condition and are now on admission at the Suhum Government Hospital.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Eastern Regional Police Command, DSP Ebenezer Tetteh, told the Daily Graphic that the unfortunate incident happened when a Hyundai H100 mini bus, with registration number ER 1335-Z, and a Man Diesel trailer truck, with registration number GN 6885-20, collided.
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This latest accident has added to the casualties from road carnages, with 1,450 lives already lost as the first half of this year ended.
Of that figure, 200 deaths were recorded in June alone, according to statistics released by the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service.
Incident, victims
DSP Tetteh said an initial investigation into the Omenako accident indicated that the collision was as a result of a failed overtaking attempt by the deceased driver of the Hyundai mini bus which was heading towards Accra from Nkawkaw.
He said the deceased driver, who was yet to be identified, "overtook a vehicle ahead of him, without observing traffic from the opposite direction", and in the process, clashed with the Man Diesel trailer truck which was travelling from Accra towards Kumasi.
“Five people on board the mini bus, including the driver, died on the spot, while five others also on board the bus sustained varying degrees of injury,” he said.
The bodies of the deceased were removed from the bus and deposited at the Suhum Government Hospital mortuary for identification, preservation and autopsy, while the injured victims were receiving treatment at the same health facility, he added.
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He said the accident vehicles were towed away by the Suhum Divisional Police to allow for the free flow of traffic on the highway and also assist the police in their investigations.
Statistics rising
Road accidents remain a major public safety issue in Ghana.
According to the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Ghana lost over $230 million annually due to road crashes.
The latest statistics from the MTTD indicate that deaths already recorded from road crashes are 27.19 per cent more than the 1,140 figure recorded in the same period in 2020.
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Again within this first half of 2021, the injured list stands at 2,481 people.
The Ashanti Region leads in the death toll with 297, followed by the Eastern Region, which has recorded 243 deaths, with the Greater Accra Region recording 228 deaths.
Motorbike crashes
Out of the number of people who have died since the beginning of the year, 622 are as a result of motorcycle-related accidents.
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Breaking down the numbers as far as motorbike-related accidents are concerned, the statistics indicate that 8,188 were injured, representing a 19.45 per cent rise from the same time last year, when 6,855 got injured.
2020 data
From January to October 2020, there were nearly 12,100 road traffic accidents, which involved over 20,400 vehicles.
The crashes led to 2,080 fatalities and 12,380 injuries.
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Ghana’s least fatal year for road crashes in the last decade was 2015, when 1,802 people died.
Within the last 28 years, more than 46,000 Ghanaians have been killed in road accidents nationwide.
Intervention
In a bid to curb the incident of road crashes, the NRSA has launched a campaign: “Arrive Alive”.
Also, the NRSA and the MTTD will fix cameras on the various highways to check overspeeding.
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Additionally, the two agencies have proposed a plan to introduce the issuance of tickets to drivers who overspeed and are captured on the cameras.
Once issued with a ticket detailing the fine to be paid, the culprits will be required to go to designated courts to effect payment.