Judge to impose custodial sentence on reckless drivers

Juaso (Ash) June 10,GNA - Mr Jacob Boon, Juaso Circuit Court Judge, has threatened to impose custodial sentence, instead of the mandatory fine, on reckless drivers who appear before the Court.

He explained that offending drivers pay the fines and continue to commit the same motor offences that led to numerous accidents and loss of lives.

Mr Boon issued the threat when he sentenced a 27-year old Driver for careless driving.

The Court asked Collins Kwaku Asante to pay a fine of 4.5 million cedis or in default, 28 months imprisonment.

Mr Boon directed that two million cedis of the fine should go to one Ms Agnes Twumasi, who was knocked down by the accused. Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of Police, George Anim, told the Court that, at about 0430 hours, on December 28, 2003 Asante who was driving a cargo truck loaded with 1,800 crates of eggs knocked down the victim when he lost control of the vehicle at the Juaso cemetery, on the Juaso-Konongo road in the Ashanti Region.

The vehicle hit Ms Twumasi, who sustained injuries and had to be rushed to Juaso District Hospital, where she was on admission for three days, before she was transferred to Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

Police investigations revealed that the vehicle had not been registered to operate commercially.