A tragic road crash at Amanase, a community in the Ayensuano District along the Accra to Kumasi Highway near Suhum in the Eastern Region has claimed the lives of 11 people in what emergency officials have described as one of the most horrifying accidents on the Highway in recent memory.
The fatal collision, which occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, April 22, around 5a.m., involved a fuel tanker with registration number GR 1300-16 and a Benz Sprinter passenger bus registered GW 6510-23.
Preliminary investigations by the police indicate that the tanker driver may have dozed off behind the wheels, causing his vehicle to veer off its lane and crash head-on into the oncoming Sprinter bus.
The impact of the crash was catastrophic.
According to first responders, two women and nine men died instantly at the scene.
The force of the collision crushed the front sections of both vehicles, trapping many passengers and forcing emergency teams to use extrication tools in the rescue operation.
Several others sustained severe injuries, some described as life-threatening.
The injured were quickly transported to the Suhum Government Hospital, where they are currently receiving emergency medical care.
Personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and the Ghana Police Service based in Suhum were immediately dispatched to the accident site.
ADO1 Akonnor Opare Ohene Daniel, the Suhum Municipal Public Relations Officer for the GNFS, confirmed the details to the press, noting that swift response from the emergency teams helped prevent further fatalities and manage the heavy traffic that built up on the usually busy highway.
The incident has renewed calls for stricter enforcement of road safety regulations, especially regarding long-haul drivers who often operate under extreme fatigue.
Road safety experts have long warned about the dangers of driver drowsiness, particularly for those operating fuel tankers and commercial vehicles on Ghana’s highways.
In recent years, the Accra-Kumasi Highway has been the site of numerous deadly crashes, many of which have been attributed to speeding, driver fatigue, and poor lane discipline.
The latest tragedy adds to a growing tally of avoidable road fatalities that continue to plague the nation’s transportation network.
–BY Daniel Bampoe
