3 killed in Kumasi

An accident involving a Mercedes Benz cargo vehicle and a Daf tanker at Anloga Junction in Kumasi yesterday left three people, including the driver of Mercedes Benz cargo car, dead.

Four other passengers sustained injuries.

The Mercedes Benz cargo vehicle with registration number GW 5504-Y, laden with garden eggs, was coming from the Amakom area heading towards Accra, whilst the Daf tanker, filled with petrol, was from the Accra direction.

The deceased persons and the injured passengers were all aboard the Mercedes Benz cargo car which got damaged beyond repairs, the paper learnt.

Bodies of the deceased, including the driver in charge of the Benz cargo car, who was identified as Richard Kwame Asiamah, have been deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) morgue for autopsy.

The injured persons were treated and discharged at KATH, where they were rushed to, on the same day.

Richard Karikari of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) said the gory accident occurred at the Anloga Junction traffic light around 1:30am on Thursday.

He said at that time of the night, the traffic light was displaying the amber sign to drivers from both directions.

Karikari said the Daf tanker had initiated a left turn and was halfway through the road, heading to Asokwa.

Out of nowhere, the Mercedes Benz cargo car, which was being driven at top speed, rammed into the right side of the tanker.

According to him, due to the intensity of the crash, the driver of the Mercedes Benz Cargo and two ladies in the front seat died instantly.

Three other ladies and the mate of the Mercedes cargo car who were seated at the back of the vehicle survived. The three ladies and the driver’s mate sustained minor injuries and were rushed to KATH, where they were treated and discharged.

Karikari noted that the driver of the Daf vehicle and his mate survived the accident.

The NRSC official said due to the impact of the crash, the deceased got trapped in the car.

He said officials of the Ghana National Fire Service, stationed at Manhyia and Kyirapatre, were called in to help remove the dead persons from the mangled vehicle.