The deadly road crash on Tuesday, this week, has once again thrown the spotlight on the dangers posed to travellers using the Memfi-Koforidua road.
The accident occurred at Amanprobi, a community near Mampong in the Akuapem North Municipality, when a KIA truck transporting dynamite cables from Accra reportedly experienced brake failure.
The truck, which was descending a section of the road, lost control and collided head-on with a Toyota Land Cruiser (V8).
Following the collision, the KIA truck caught fire. Fortunately, the two mates in the KIA truck managed to escape by jumping out just before the fire engulfed the vehicle. Eyewitnesses described the scene as very chaotic.
However, the driver of the KIA truck was not so fortunate, as he is believed to have died instantly from the impact.
His body was later retrieved by personnel from the Ghana Police Service and sent to a nearby mortuary for preservation and identification.
Emergency Response and Ongoing Investigation
Personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service and the Ghana Police Service arrived at the scene shortly after the incident and managed to douse the flames and prevented the fire from spreading to nearby properties or vehicles.
The injured were swiftly transported to medical facilities for emergency treatment.
Preliminary investigations by the Ghana National Fire Service and the Ghana Police Service suggest the KIA driver might have been attempting to avoid security checkpoints on the Accra-Kumasi highway, possibly due to the nature of the cargo – dynamite cables – which require specific permits and careful handling.
Unconfirmed reports say the driver deliberately diverted onto the Koforidua-Bunso Road, using the Mamfi-Koforidua route as an alternative path to bypass law enforcement checkpoints.
A Road in Crisis
The Mamfi-Koforidua Road has long been described by commuters and transport operators as a “death trap” due to its winding nature.
Residents and commuters are now renewing calls on the Ministry of Roads and Highways, the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), and other stakeholders to address the deteriorating conditions of the road and implement stricter controls for vehicles carrying hazardous materials.
Call for Urgent Government Intervention
Local leaders and transport unions have expressed their frustration at the continued neglect of the area’s transport infrastructure.
They are urging government and relevant authorities to take immediate steps to reconstruct and expand critical sections of the road, install speed ramps, warning signs at sharp bends.
Other steps stakeholders have proposed are enforcement of stricter regulations for vehicles carrying hazardous material.
The post Fatal accident on Mamfe-Koforidua road appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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