Eighteen people died in two separate accidents yesterday, one at Onyaadze on the Apam-Winneba road in the Central Region and the other at Ohene Nkwanta, near Konongo in the Ashanti Region.
In the Onyaadze crash involving two vehicles, 12 people died on the spot and one person later, while 16 others in critical condition have been admitted to the Winneba Government Hospital. The dead include the drivers of the two vehicles involved.
And at Ohene Nkwanta, five passengers, including two females and a baby girl, died on the spot when a Man Diesel articulated truck crashed into a Tata bus.
The Apam Regional Police Commander, Superintendent Oduro Amaning, told the Daily Graphic that the accident occurred around 5.30 a.m. when a cargo Benz, with registration number ER 7024 X, loaded with canned fish and mayonnaise from Accra towards Cape Coast veered of its lane and collided head-on with a Benz 207, with registration number CR 447 P, travelling from Mumford to Winneba.
In the Ashanti Region, a truck, with registration number AS 507-10, which was heading towards Accra from Kumasi, was said to have first hit the rear of a truck which was ahead of it, veered off its lane before crashing into the side of the Tata bus which was travelling from the opposite direction, causing the bus to crash into a ditch.
The Ashanti Regional Police Motor Transport and Traffic Unit (MTTU) Commander, Superintendent G. D. Hlordzi, who briefed the Daily Graphic about the incident, said the impact of the crash was so intense that the Tata bus rolled several times before falling on its side, causing five of the passengers to die on the spot from the injuries they sustained.
He said majority of the passengers in the Tata bus, with registration number GW 1764 X, sustained injuries, and were, therefore, rushed to the Agogo Presbyterian Hospital and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for medical care.
He said both the driver of the bus and the articulated truck survived the accident, explaining that while the driver of the bus, identified as Mustapha Seidu, was treated and discharged from the Konongo Government Hospital, the truck driver, yet to be identified, was on admission at the same hospital.
He said the bodies of the deceased were first transported to the Agogo Presbyterian Hospital, but the mortuary was full, so arrangements were made for them to be deposited at the KATH mortuary.
Superintendent Hlordzi said initial police investigations revealed that the driver of the Man Diesel articulated truck was dozing, a situation which he said caused him to hit the rear of a truck which was ahead of it.
He said it was the impact of the first incident that caused the truck to veer from its lane to crash into the Tata bus travelling from the opposite direction.
Superintendent Hlordzi said efforts were being made to identify the deceased passengers, giving assurance that investigations were underway.
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