A victim of last Friday’s fatal crash on Kintampo-Techiman highway has revealed, their driver was in a hurry to pick some other traders on the stretch, who had been waiting for him.
Ernest Atabila, who was onboard the KIA Grand Bird with registration number GT 5694 – 18 travelling from Garu Tempane to Kumasi, disclosed this when the Roads and Highways Minister, Kwasi Amoako Atta and his colleague from the Transport Ministry, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah visited the accident victims at the Techiman Holy Family Hospital and the Kintampo South District Hospital on Tuesday, March 26.
“We were coming from Garu and somewhere along the line, we saw another vehicle climbing the hilly road. Our driver over sped to reach that vehicle and at a point in time tried overtaking it. From there, he continued over speeding and when you caution him to exercise restraints, he tells you that he wants to pick some market women who trade in okro and were waiting for him,” he revealed.
The victim narrated further that the driver, who also perished, even “told us those who could not withstand the speed at which he was traveling, could get off the vehicle.
“So after crossing the Police barrier, I saw him dozing off and the vehicle had veered off the road but it was too late to save the situation. Our bus in the process ran into the oncoming VVIP bus,” Ernest Atabila added.
Ramatu Issaka, a 54-year old woman, who lost her three grandchildren who were also onboard the KIA Grand Bird bus, also said “We cautioned the driver several times against over speeding but he didn’t listen to us. We had no choice than to keep quiet and prayed that he takes us to our destination. Just some few kilometres after crossing the barrier, he ran into the other bus after veering off his lane.”
The narration of the road crash victims was corroborated by the Kintampo Divisional Police Commander, ACP Joseph Gyawu.
The accident claimed 59 lives, 35 of whom were burnt beyond recognition after one of the buses went up in flames immediately after the crash.
The burnt bodies have been buried en masse while all the injured have been treated and discharged.
The two government officials, who were accompanied by the Executive Director of the Ghana National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), May Obiri Yeboah and personnel from both Techiman and Kintampo Police Commands, also visited the accident scene at Ampomakrom in the Kintampo South District.