Customs official kills motor rider

Three people lost their lives in two separate accidents which occurred in Tema in the Greater Accra Region.

A vehicle belonging to the Custom Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and a containerized DAF cargo truck with registration number GT 868 Y reportedly killed a motor rider instantly at Afariwaa Junction on the Tema-Akosombo Highway Tuesday afternoon.

Eyewitnesses indicated that Customs officials and National Security personnel were on board a Toyota pick-up with registration number GN 2938-12, which was escorting the cargo truck believed to contain smuggled goods from the Akosombo direction and heading towards Tema when the incident occurred.

The yet-to-be-identified rider had his head crushed with his brain scattered.

When DAILY GUIDE arrived at the scene a few minutes after the accident at about 1:20 pm, the corpse of the rider and the motorcycle were found lying on the road with the body covered with leaves.

According to eyewitnesses, the accident occurred at about 12:55 pm when the rider, who was ahead of the security personnel and the truck, was suddenly sandwiched between them and the Customs vehicle knocked him down before the tyre of the cargo truck run over his head.

They indicated that after the incident the Customs officials neglected him and that a taxi driver gave the two vehicles a hot chase and reported the matter to the Divisional Police Headquarters of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) and the two vehicles were impounded.

Meanwhile, officers at the above police station have arrested drivers of both vehicles for investigations; but they were unwilling to disclose the content of the cargo truck.

In a related development, two people lost their lives around the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) Monday evening.

The brake of an articulator truck loaded with bags of rice failed and ran into two separate vehicles, killing the (truck) driver and his mate instantly.

The lifeless bodies were picked up by the police and deposited at the Tema General Hospital for preservation.

Confirming the incident to DAILY GUIDE, the Tema Regional Police Commander of the MTTD, Chief Superintendent Oduro Amaning, said the accident occurred at about 6:00 pm when the truck, coming from the Valco Roundabout direction towards the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) area, had a failed brake.

According to him, the driver tried to avoid bumping into a car ahead of him but was unsuccessful, and the truck rammed into a salon car, which caused the driver to lose control and crashed into a fuel tanker parked in front of TOR.