Year In Review: Deadliest accidents of 2022 that took many Ghanaian lives

Road crashes count as one of the major contributors to fatalities in Ghana.

Many accidents took the lives of scores in 2022. Some of these occured as a result of carelessness but some others happened as a result of factors including overspeeding, head-on crashes among others

Below are some accidents reported in 2022 that recorded multiple deaths:

Family of six, returning from wedding drown as car plunges into river

In the early part of January 2022, a family of six sadly drowned when a car they were travelling in plunged into a river at Hwediem near Nkwawie in the Atwima Nwabiagya South of the Ashanti region.

The accident occurred in the evening of Saturday, January 8.

They were returning from a wedding at Bibiani in the Western North Region when the incident occurred.

A source at the Nkawie Police Station, while confirming the incident said the vehicle transporting the family veered off the street and landed in a river after a failed overtaking.

All occupants in the vehicle including a man, his wife, three children and an in-law drowned and died.

13 die as truck somersaults at Savelegu

13 people died in an accident at Zugo in the Savelugu Municipality of the Northern Region in January 2022.

The accident is said to have occurred when the driver of a truck filled with about 33 mourners lost control of the wheel while he was attempting to avoid knocking down a cyclist who crossed his lane.

The Northern Regional Crime Officer of the Ghana Police Service, giving an earlier account of the accident said the truck somersaulted in the process and landed in a nearby bush.

“The information we gathered was that the truck driver was carrying about 33 mourners returning from a funeral and got involved in that fatal accident,” he added.

4 perish, 39 injured in Tuobodom accident

Also in the month of January, on the 20th, four persons died on the spot in an accident that occurred at Tuobodom in the Techiman North District on the Kintampo-Techiman highway in the Bono East Region.

The accident occurred about 3:50a.m. when a KIA Grandbird bus from Bolgatanga to Kumasi ran into a breakdown DAF articulated truck in front of the Tuobodom Senior High School.

The deceased included a mother and her four-year-old son, a nine-month-old baby boy and the bus driver's mate.

The 39 other passengers who sustained varying degrees of injuries were sent to the Techiman Holy Family Hospital for treatment.

5 dead, 7 injured in accident on Accra-Kumasi Highway

In the month of April, least five (5) persons were confirmed dead in a fatal accident which occurred on the Bunso stretch of the Accra to Kumasi Highway in the Eastern region.

The accident occurred on Monday, April 4 at about 3:55 am.

The accident involved a Toyota Hiace minibus with Registration number AK 1145-21 with 13 persons on board travelling from Kumasi towards Accra.

A report indicates that, on reaching a section of the road after Akyem Asiakwa junction near Bunso on Accra to Kumasi Highway, the driver without due care and attention veered off his lane and crashed the offside rear portion of a DAF low bird articulated truck with registration number GT 3799-16 traveling from Tema towards Kumasi.

The impact forced the Toyota minibus to crash at the roadside killing five persons including the driver instantly.

Seven male occupants aboard the Toyota Hiace minibus sustained injuries and were rushed to Hawa Memorial Savior hospital and admitted.

14 passengers burnt to death in accident at Asemasa

In the month of March, some 14 persons, including a child were confirmed dead in a gory accident at Asemasa in the Shama District of the Western Region.

The accident involved a Tipper Truck with no visible number plate and a Ford Bus with registration number GW 6628 – 21.

A police source said the accident occurred when the truck busted a tyre in an attempt to negotiate a curve at Asemasa.

It veered off its lane and collided head-on with the Ford Bus, which sparked fire spontaneously, leading to the accident.

The police said the Ford Bus was from Tarkwa while the Truck, loaded with quarry stones, was from Cape Coast.

All 14 passengers on board the Ford Bus, comprising 10 males and four females, including a Chinese national, got burnt beyond recognition.

The charred bodies were conveyed to the Central Regional Hospital Morgue for preservation.

Four EUW students perish in accident at Asuobi

The Student Representative Council (SRC) of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), in the month of March confirmed the death of four of its students in the road accident at Asuboi.

In a Neat FM interview monitored by GhanaWeb, the Public Relations Officer of the SRC, Shadrach Appiah, said that although nine people died, only four were students, and the others were passengers who joined the students.

“Because of the increases in prices of fares, students normally organise buses to the school because it is relatively cheaper. The bus involved in the accident was the last bus from Sunyani, and it had 35 students and other passengers the driver picked on the way because the bus was not full.

“Two of the students who died are male, and the other two female. The bus organiser was able to identify the two ladies, but he could not identify the gentlemen. I can confirm that one of the students was in level 300, the others were continuing students, but I have not been able to confirm their level as of now,” Appiah said in Twi.

The SRC PRO also disclosed that some of the students were gravely wounded, with three of the injured students referred to a health facility in Koforidua and subsequently to Accra.

Six dead, 22 others injured on Wassa Akropong Bawdie road

Six lives were claimed in an accident involving three cars at Wassa Asikuma on the Wassa Akropong Bawdie road in the Wassa Amenfi East Municipality on March 3.

The cars involved in the accident were; a taxi, sprinter, and a Kia truck with registration numbers; GT 6637-20, GT 8721-18 and AC 899-21 respectively.

According to an eye witness, Emmanuel Nipa, the Kia truck loaded with bags of cocoa from Bawdie heading towards Wassa Akropong which was on top speed had a head-on collision with the sprinter bus which was coming from Wassa Akropong.

The taxi driver who was behind the sprinter upon seeing the crash, tried to save passengers in the taxi and veered off the road into the bush injuring the passengers on board.

The deceased persons included a two-year-old boy and a pastor of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Wassa Akropong, while twenty-two others were severely injured.

Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai MCE, driver die in ghastly road accident

The Municipal Chief Executive for Bibiani-Anwhiaso-Bekwai in the Western North Region, Alfred Amoah, and his driver died in an accident Tuesday, July 12, 2022.

According to a police report, the incident was reported around 5:15 pm when the said driver was driving the Nissan Patrol 4×4 No. GC 2060- 18 belonging to the Bibiani- Anhwiaso Bekwai Municipal Assembly with Hon. Alfred Amoah the MCE of the Municipality on board travelling from Accra towards Bibiani direction.

“On reaching a section of the road at Akim Fisher on the Accra-Kumasi Highway, a Man Diesel Articulated truck No. AS 4229-X from Kumasi's direction veered off its lane and crashed head-on with the Nissan Patrol 4×4.

The MCE and his driver got trapped in the vehicle and both are suspected to have died on the spot. With the help of the National Fire Service from Bunso and Kibi, the bodies of the deceased were removed and sent to Kibi Government Hospital where they were confirmed dead by the Medical Officer on duty.

“Their bodies were deposited at the mortuary for preservation, identification and autopsy. A Man Diesel Fuel tanker No. GN 8540-20 driven by Habibu Adam aged 35 years with an empty tank from Kumasi direction on seeing the danger ahead applied his brakes to avoid a crash.

“In the process, he lost control of the steering wheel veered off his lane and landed into a ditch on the offside when facing Accra direction,” the police report said.

8 die in head-on collision, others injured

Some eight lives were lost in a head-on collision that occurred on the Kwapong-Nobekaw road in the Asunafo South District in the Ahafo Region on Thursday, June 30, 2022.

The accident involving a taxi cab with registration number GT 7008 – X, and a tipper truck with registration number GC 7955-20, is reported to have occurred at about 9:30 a.m.

All seven people onboard the taxi including the driver, died on the spot, in addition to one of the four passengers who were onboard the tipper truck.

Five men dead in gruesome accident at Fanteakwa

Five persons; all-male were confirmed dead in an accident at Akrumsu a farming community in Fanteakwa North District in Eastern Region.

The accident involved a Benz bus with the registration number GE 4075 – E, overloaded with bags of maize, and charcoal and aboard with few passengers from Donkorkrom and enroute to Akim Agogo.

The accident was said to have occurred on Tuesday, May 17, 2022, at about 15:30 GMT.

A survivor alleged that the driver’s brakes failed in the process of manoeuvring, where he lost control of the steering wheel at a curve near the Akrumsu Community.

He said the bus suddenly veered off the road and somersaulted multiple times before landing in a ditch.

Five school children crashed to death

An accident involving pupils of DS Elites Academy at Adrobaa in the Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo Region claimed five lives and left six others in critical condition.

The five pupils reportedly died on the spot following the accident which occurred on Friday, November 11, 2022.

GA/WA