8 Perish in accident on Sunyani-Berekum highway

EIGHT persons, four of them mourners, have been confirmed dead after a Toyota Corolla taxi crashed into the passenger side of a private vehicle on the Sunyani-Berekum highway last Saturday.

The accident happened at Amanfoso around 2:30.p.m. when the driver of the private vehicle appeared to have lost control of the steering wheel and crossed into the lane of the taxi, causing the collision.

In all, 10 people were involved in the fatal crash, but eight of the five males and three females did not survive the accident.

The drivers of the two vehicles survived.

The cab, with registration number AS 4819-17, was transporting four passengers from Sunyani towards Berekum, while the private car with registration number GN 5753-12 had four passengers dressed in mourning clothes, travelling from Dormaa-Ahenkro to Sunyani.

The victims were rushed to the Berekum Holy Family Hospital and the Sunyani Teaching Hospital for medical attention.

Officials of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) told the Daily Graphic that all the eight occupants in the two vehicles had died due to the severe impact of the accident, while the identity of the drivers were yet to be made known to the police.

NRSA briefing

The Bono Regional Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Gabriel Kwame Okyere, told the Daily Graphic that the cab crashed into the passenger side of the private vehicle.

He explained that three male and four female victims of the accident were rushed to the Sunyani Teaching Hospital for medical treatment, but were confirmed dead by the medical staff on duty at the time of arrival.

He said one of the other three rushed to the Berekum Holy Family Hospital died later while on admission.

Mr Okyere said the bodies had been deposited at the mortuaries of the hospitals for identification, preservation and autopsy.

The two vehicles involved in the accident were later towed to the police station. 

Writer's email: biiya.ali@graphic.com.gh