Tragedy on campus: UCC student dies in crash minutes before exam
The University of Cape Coast is mourning the loss of a second-year student who succumbed to injuries sustained in a tragic road accident on Thursday afternoon, just as he was preparing to sit for a scheduled examination.
Kweku Mensah, a Level 200 student pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance, was involved in a collision with an Ayalolo bus along the stretch between the Amissah-Arthur Language Centre and the Sandwich Lecture Theatre at approximately 3:00 pm.
The March 5, 2026, fatality has sent shockwaves through the academic community, with the university administration confirming the incident in an official statement released Friday.
Preliminary accounts gathered by authorities suggest the young man was en route to Oguaa Hall to retrieve his identification card—a document essential for him to gain entry into his examination hall.
He was navigating the campus thoroughfare on a motorcycle when the crash occurred. The impact left him with critical injuries, prompting an immediate emergency response.
Bystanders and first responders rushed Mensah to the University of Cape Coast Hospital, where medical teams made frantic attempts to revive him. Despite their best efforts, he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
The campus police unit, in collaboration with the Motor Traffic and Transport Department, has since launched a full-scale investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collision. Officials have confirmed that the student's body has been deposited at the UCC Morgue, where it will remain pending post-mortem examinations and other necessary protocols. His family has been notified and is being supported by the university as they grapple with the sudden and devastating loss.
In a statement, the Acting Director of the Directorate of Public Affairs, Dr Kwabena Antwi-Konadu, conveyed the institution's profound grief. "The University extends its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased and urges the University community to remain calm as investigations continue," the statement read.
The incident has reignited conversations around road safety on the campus, particularly concerning the coexistence of private motorcycles, public transport vehicles, and pedestrian traffic during peak academic periods.
Authorities have assured the public that further updates will be disseminated as investigative findings become available.
