East Legon Accident: 16-year-old boy remanded again

The 16-year-old boy who rammed into another car at East Legon, killing two people as a result, has once more been remanded. 

The juvenile, who is facing eight counts of manslaughter, negligently causing harm, dangerous driving and driving without licence, was first remanded when he appeared in court last Friday.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges when he appeared before the Family and Juvenile Court during his first appearance.

It is uncertain whether the juvenile has been sent to a correctional centre or has been committed to the care of his parents in line with section 23 of the Juvenile Justice Act , 2003 (ACT 653) since the case was not opened to the public.

The provision states that where a juvenile is not released on bail, the juvenile court may make an order committing the juvenile to the care of his paernts, guardian, close relative or any fit person who is willing to take care of the juvenile; or remanding the juvenile to a remand home situated within a reasonable distance from the court.

The case has been adjourned to November 13 this year. 

Prosecution’s facts

The facts presented by Assistant State Attorney Ebenezer Yaw Acquah were that despite his age and his lack of a valid driving licence, his family members regularly gave him access to cars that they owned and permitted him to drive.

On October 12, 2024, the prosecutor said the family threw a birthday party for Elyon at an event centre in East Legon.

During the party, he said the juvenile asked one Linda Bonsu Bempah for the keys to his mother's Jaguar F-Pace sports car.

Linda is a personal assistant to Elyon Amoako and, during her duties supervising events at the party, had been given the keys to hold on to.

While the party went on, the 15-year-old asked Linda to give him the keys to the car and she did. He took the car and drove with one of his friends to the A&C mall where they met some more friends who were waiting in two SUVs. 

Convoy

The three cars formed a convoy, led by the accused person in his mother's car, and drove through the East Legon area.

The prosecutor said that at a section of the Dzane-Ashie Road and despite the presence of other vehicles on the road, the accused person decided to show off the speed of the Jaguar F-Pace, adding that the accused was at top speed in no time and approached a T-junction at the Mensah Wood Avenue recklessly with no regard for the other road users. 

At that speed, he got to the junction just as the driver of Acura, Joseph Ackah, had slowed down to navigate the turn.

Mr Acquah told the court that the “16-year-old rammed into the rear of the Acura; the collision was violent and destructive, propelling both vehicles flying across the street and smashing into the wall of the house opposite the junction, destroying an ECG pole in the process.

“Both cars immediately caught fire which turned into a raging inferno in no time. The accused person managed to force himself out of the vehicle he was driving, his passenger too.”

“Joseph Ackah had been driving his boss' two daughters - one of them a toddler - and their friends who were both 12 years old. They were trapped. Bystanders rushed to the scene with fire extinguishers but were unable to suppress the flames,” he said.

The driver forced his door opened and fell into the flames that were already around the car before he was dragged to safety.

One of the volunteers, the prosecutor said, pulled the toddler out of the burning car while others managed to free her sister from the back seat. 

Their friends, however, remained trapped and as the flames intensified, the volunteers had to give up their efforts, looking on as the car burnt down unable to save the two remaining girls. 

The prosecutor told the court that the investigation that followed established that the accused person had been driving in a manner that fell way below what was expected of any competent and careful driver and in such a reckless manner that it endangered the lives of both vehicles and pedestrians along the road.

The accused, Mr Acquah said, admitted that he took the keys from Linda Bempah, picked up his friend and drove to the A&C mall.