Woman dies in ‘Galamsey’ pit

A 35-year-old woman, Patricia Morrison, met her untimely death when a taxi she was driving veered off the road and landed in an abandoned ‘galamsey’ pit at Abease, near Cyanide in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality of the Western Region.

DAILY GUIDE gathered that the incident happened on Monday evening when three persons, including the deceased, went for driving lessons.

“Patricia was learning how to drive when the accident occurred while the driver of the taxi with registration number WR 842-16, Andrew Addoh, 21, and Dorothy Adarkwa, who were onboard, escaped death,” an eyewitness told DAILY GUIDE.

The lifeless body has been deposited at the Tarkwa Government Hospital morgue, while the other two are responding to treatment at the same hospital.

Some of the residents also asserted that Andrew Addoh and the two ladies, Patricia and Dorothy were on a driving escapade, which led to the tragedy.

The Western Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), ASP Olivia Ewurabena Adiku, noted that at about 9.45pm on Monday, Andrew Addoh was driving a Daewoo taxi with Patricia, the deceased and Dorothy on board towards Abease in Tarkwa.

On reaching a section of the road, Patricia took over the driving and the vehicle veered off the road and landed in a ‘galamsey’ pit filled with water.

“The vehicle submerged but Andrew and Dorothy were rescued from the water.”

“All efforts to save Patricia failed and she eventually drowned. Personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) helped to retrieve the submerged taxi.”

The body of Patricia was also retrieved later and conveyed to the mortuary.

ASP Adiku noted that Andrew and one Francis, the owner of the cab, had been arrested to help the police in investigations.