21 dead in Accra-Kumasi car crash

• Posted on September 1, 2014September 1, 2014
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Medical staff at the Juaso Government Hospital were overwhelmed as casualties of a gory lorry accident that occurred on the main Kumasi-Accra road, soared.

Doctors and nurses were overstretched as they attempted to save the lives of critically injured victims in an accident which claimed 21 lives last Sunday in the Asante-Akim South District of the Ashanti region.

Injured victims languishing in pain and sufferings cried out as medical staff stayed awake overnight to provide crucial care.

Fifteen people died on the spot when a Mercedes Benz Sprinter bus, with registration AS 6534-14 travelling from Accra to Kumasi collided head-on with a Toyota Hiace bus.

Five more died on arrival at the Juaso Government Hospital whilst another died at Konongo Hospital. They are 12 males and nine females.

Doctors say many of the 11 critically injured victims would be transferred to the Komfo Anokye Hospital after initially transferring two.

Busy medical staff at Juaso,turned down an interview request to enable them attend to injured persons, including a 3-month old baby and her mum.

The corridor and the emergency ward are soaked in blood. One woman, in blood-stained bandage and several others with fractured limbs and arms cry out in pains as another is put on life-support.

Three vehicles were involved in the accident which occurred at about 4:30 pm on Sunday at the outskirts of Asankare Township.

Preliminary police investigations indict the driver of the Sprinter bus, Alhassan Naija for over speeding.

Juaso District Commander, DSP Samuel Laterbu told Nhyira FM, though the Toyota Hiace bus, with registration GW 4679-13 had earlier overtaken another car, the sprinter bus ran to the lane of the oncoming Toyota bus before colliding head-on.

“The Urvan [bus] did the overtaken all-right. It was on its lane and because the sprinter bus was on top-speed following the other private car and trying to avoid hitting it; went to the Urvan’s lane and then hit the vehicle”. DSP Laterbu explained.

The two vehicles after the collision fell on the way of a Coaster bus, with registration GT 9779W, belonging to the University of Ghana’s Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research.

Though there were no casualties, the bus had its rear damaged.

It took personnel of the Ghana Fire Service several hours to rescue some of the passengers trapped in the mangled vehicles.

Speaking to Nhyira Fm on his hospital bed, Naijah, a resident of Kwamo near Ejisu says he should not be blamed for the accident.

He denied over-speeding at the time of the accident.

-Nyhira FM