Nkawkaw accident: Police arrest ‘imposter’ driver

The Nkawkaw police have arrested one Kweku Adofo who claims to be the driver of the Yutong bus involved in an accident that claimed 10 lives at Nkawkaw on the Accra-Kumasi highway on Sunday.

Mr Adofo is believed to be an imposter as the police claim the bus driver, identified as Yaw Asiedu, is severely injured and currently battling for his life at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).

According to the Nkawkaw Divisional MTTD Commander, Superintendent Muchiraru Yahaya, Yaw Asiedu confessed being the driver before he was referred to the KATH and so it could not be possible that Mr Adofo, who appears unhurt on any part of his body, could be the driver considering the impact of the accident.

He hinted on arraigning Adofo before court on Tuesday, October 3 2017 on the charge of deceiving a public officer.

Briefing the ER Road Safety Director, Kwasi Yirenkyi, on how the accident occurred, Supt. Yahaya said the accident occurred at about 3am after the driver of the Yutong bus with registration number GM 2212-16, on reaching Asona, veered onto a one lane double road that heads towards Kumasi, when in fact, he was heading towards Accra from Kumasi.

He indicated that the driver, Asiedu, suspected to be a spare driver, apparently used that route so he could handover the vehicle with 54 passengers on board to the actual driver, Adofo.

But he unfortunately met two heavy duty vehicles – a trailer with registration number ER 917 A and a fuel tanker – after about two kilometres drive at Damesikrom.

The MTTD Commander said in an attempt to dodge, the Yutong bus driver meandered his way in between the two vehicles but the trailer which carried two containers had its side cut through the Yutong bus which ended up killing 10 persons on the spot and others sustaining various injuries.

Meanwhile, over 30 of the victims have been treated and discharged by the Nkawkaw Holy Family Hospital while others have been referred to the KATH.