One person has been seriously injured in a crash involving four vehicles on the Ofankor-Pokuase section of Ghana’s Accra-Kumasi Highway.
The collision happened on Wednesday morning, 19 August, just days after 11 people were killed and 13 others injured in a separate accident on the same stretch of road.
The latest crash involved a VIP bus, a military vehicle, a Toyota Vitz and a four-wheel-drive vehicle. No deaths were reported, but one person sustained serious injuries and was taken to a medical facility for treatment.
The incident brought traffic on the Kumasi-bound side of the highway to a standstill, with motorists facing lengthy delays as the authorities dealt with the consequences of the collision.
Akwetey Agbo, the Ga North Municipal Chief Executive, said the repeated crashes in the area were being caused by driver indiscipline. He called for speed cameras to be installed along the corridor in an effort to curb speeding and improve compliance with traffic regulations.
He also urged motorists to take extra care when travelling downhill from the John Teye area towards Pokuase, where several incidents have occurred.
“All this is as a result of indiscipline because if you are descending from John Teye to Pokuase, why must you get an incident in such a short distance?” he asked. “If drivers obey the traffic regulations, there shouldn’t be a crash over this short distance. If you move from John Teye to Pokuase, it is a short distance, which means you will need to slow down towards Pokuase.”
Mr Agbo said public education would need to continue alongside tougher enforcement of speed limits if the number of crashes on the road was to fall.
“What we can do to address this situation is continuous education, and we have to mount speed limit cameras on this stretch. Any driver who falls foul of the law must be dealt with,” he said.
Wednesday’s incident occurred less than a week after a fatal crash near the Ofankor Barrier and John Teye enclave on the same route. That accident claimed 11 lives and left 13 people injured, prompting renewed concern over safety on the busy highway.
The Ofankor-Pokuase corridor is one of the most heavily used routes in the country. The latest collision has intensified calls for stronger traffic enforcement and greater caution from drivers using the stretch, particularly on the descent towards Pokuase.
