Articulated truck runs into traders killing four

Wassa-Akropong (W/R) April 27 -GNA- An articulated truck loaded with cocoa ran into traders at Wassa-Akropong on Thursday killing three of them instantly and the fourth victim, died at the Wassa-Akropong Government hospital.

Thirteen others, mostly women who received various degrees of injuries are on admission at the hospital.

Dr. Frederick Yaw Sarpong, Medical Officer in-charge of the hospital told the Ghana News Agency that the injured were responding to treatment.

Police Inspector Nelson Agbi, in-charge of the Wassa-Akropong police said the driver of the articulated truck with registration number GR 8635 Q whose name was not immediately known had been placed in custody.

He was said to be travelling from the Sefwi area to discharge its cargo at the Takoradi port when the truck veered off the road and crushed into three other vehicles parked along the road. Inspector Agbi said the other vehicles involved in the accident included a tipper truck with registration number GW 5446 T also loaded with cocoa, a Nissan bus with registration number AS 6588 F and a taxi with registration number AS 418 X.

There were no passengers in any of the parked vehicles at the time of the accident.

Thursdays are markets days at Wassa-Akropong, capital of the newly created Wassa Amenfi East district of the Western Region and the traders were busily selling along the Kumasi-Wassa-Akropong-Tarkwa main road when the accident occurred.

Even though a new market was built for the people about two years ago they prefer to sell at the old market which become congested particularly on market days forcing traders to sell along the busy highway.

Meanwhile, Madam Doris Gyapomaah Oduro, the District Chief Executive (DCE) accompanied by Mr K. Appiah, Presiding member, Alhaji Hadi, District Coordinating Director and Inspector Agbi had visited victims of the accident at the hospital. She wished them speedy recovery.

Dr. Sarpong said they were in stable condition. In a related development, nurses and paramedical staff of the hospital who joined their colleagues at the Korle-Bu hospital to lay down their tools resumed work on Wednesday. They were seen busily helping to care for the victims of the accident and were commended by the DCE for their hard work. 27 April 06