Military Personnel Save Inspector's Life

The Kumasi police have mounted an intensive search for the driver of a tipper truck bearing registration number AS 6969 C, who intentionally drove off with a police officer hanging precariously at the side of his vehicle.

The timely intervention of two soldiers who gave the tipper truck a hot chase in a taxi, forced the driver to stop and toss the police officer onto the ground after which he and his mate fled into the bush.

Briefing the GNA on the incident, Mr Gideon Boateng of the Ashanti Region Police Public Relations Unit, said last Thursday at about 11 am, personnel from the Police Accident Squad at the Sofoline police station were on their normal rounds when they spotted the tipper truck, fully loaded with sand proceeding at top speed.

He said Inspector Yakubu Ibrahim, leader of the squad signalled the driver to stop, which he did.

According to Mr Boateng, Inspector Ibrahim then approached the driver and demanded the papers covering the truck but the driver could not provide any paper and so the police decided to board the truck to the Sofoline police station.

He said just as Inspector Ibrahim was climbing into the back of the vehicle, the driver took off at top speed leaving the Inspector hanging at the back.

Mr Boateng said some soldiers who were at their duty post at the Fourth Battalion of Infantry (4BN), saw the Inspector hanging precariously at the back of the speeding truck and decided to give it a chase in a taxi.

When the driver realised that he was being chased, he diverted his course through the Ampabame-Barekese road, driving carelessly with the intention of throwing the hanging policeman off the vehicle.

On seeing that the taxi was closing in on him, the driver again swerved into a rough road at top speed through the potholes all in an attempt to get Inspector Ibrahim off the truck.

This, he succeeded in doing and the police officer fell off the vehicle onto the road.Mr Boateng said the driver stopped some metres away and jumped out together with the mate into the bush.

The soldiers then put the Inspector into the taxi and drove him back.

The truck has been impounded.