Speeding truck kills woman, injures four in Takoradi
An unidentified middle-aged woman met her untimely death Sunday morning when a haulage truck rammed a taxi she and others were traveling on, killing her instantly and injuring four others.
The injured, including the driver of the taxi have been rushed to the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi where they are said to be in critical condition.
The driver of the Mercedes Benz haulage truck with the registration number GN 7790 – 12, who was unhurt, however abandoned the truck and bolted.
The dead woman and other passengers in the taxi were said to be heading towards the central business district for church and trading activities when the accident happened.
The accident left the four survivors trapped in the wreckage before a team from the Ghana Police Service and Ghana National Fire Service managed to extricate them.
According to the police, the truck driver who was returning to Cape Coast after offloading cargo at the Takoradi Port was yet to report to the police to help in their investigations.
When the Daily Graphic got to the scene, the Opel Astra taxi with registration number WR 1349 Y and bearing the inscription “Don’t Rush” had the passenger side mangled with its load of “Fante Kenkey” scattered all over the place.
On impact, the taxi had its engine and fenders on the driver’s side forced into the driver’s seat while the windscreen was completely shattered and the entire vehicle rolled over onto the pavement.
The haulage truck had its passenger side headlight broken and wind screen shattered.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Divisional MTTU Commander, DSP Thomas Bayor said preliminary investigations by the police indicated that the truck was overtaking a vehicle and turned into the lane of the taxi cab.
Coming face-to-face with the taxi, the truck driver failed to control the truck and ran into the taxi.
DSP Bayor said speeding was one of the biggest problems with haulage trucks in the metropolis.
Currently, he said due to the dangers associated with truck movements, trucks hauling boulders from the Takoradi Port Project have to haul only in the night at controlled speeds.
Other trucks engaged in hauling are also advised to travel within acceptable speed limits within the metropolis and avoid overtaking.
DSP Thomas Bayor assured the public that everything was being done to ensure that the truck driver was arrested to help the police in their investigation.