Aflao Road Killing Fields

Eight people, including a policeman and a pregnant woman, were on Monday smashed to death at Kpeduhoe near Ave-Dakpa on the Ho-Aflao road, when an Aflao-bound Metro Mass Transit bus collided with an Urvan bus, splitting it into two. The deceased had been identified by the Dzodze Police and the St. Anthony Hospital officials as Ayuba Alhasan (One Love), 33, from Aflao, driver of the Urvan bus, Papa Normenyo, 28, Senyo Bomkey, 52, both from Kornukorpe near Dzodze; Mawunyo Ayeke (pregnant woman), 36, from Ave-Dakpa and Constable Demanya Elikplim, 31, from Agbozume. The rest are Kofi Boadu, 38, from Kumasi and Juliana Dogbe, 42, from Aflao-Voeme. Two people, Edward Kumashie, 43, from Denu and the Urvan bus driver’s mate (not identified) were the only survivors. Speaking to Daily Guide, the Dzodze District Commander, Superintendent Joseph Antwi Gyawu said all the deceased were in the Urvan bus while the driver of the MMT bus with registration number GR5736Y, who was identified as Isaac Lekpor in his late 40s, sustained some injuries. Fortunately, there were no casualties in the MMT bus, whose passengers were later evacuated by another MMT bus sent from Ho. According to Supt Gyawu, the accident happened between 5.30am and 6.00 am when the MMT driver allegedly overtook a Hyundai bus and collided with the Urvan bus. He said the MMT bus which was reported to be moving at top speed, after overtaking the Hyundai bus, went into the lane of the Urvan bus, which was coming from the opposite direction. The driver of the Urvan bus, realizing the danger ahead, started driving on the shoulder of the road to make room for the MMT bus, but the bus had a head-on collision with the Urvan bus, splitting it into two. The Commander blamed the MMT driver for over-speeding and ignoring bad weather conditions, since at the time of the accident the weather was still foggy as a result of the harmattan. The bodies of the dead had been deposited at the St Anthony Hospital in Dzodze, while the MMT driver and the two survivors on the Urvan bus who sustained minor injuries were treated and later discharged. Supt. Gyawu advised drivers who ply such roads to exercise restraint, especially where they are expected to observe the 50km per hour sign when driving through towns. He expressed bewilderment as to how drivers would be over-speeding when they know the weather is foggy and thus affects visibility. Supt. Gyawu indicated that the road from Tokor in the Ketu District through Dzodze to Ho was in a very good condition and that any accident on that road could not be attributed to potholes. He appealed to drivers not to be in a hurry to load and offload passengers in a bid to make money. The District Commander promised to intensify public education for drivers and their unions as well as pedestrians. Supt. Gyawu warned that any motorist who would ignore warning signs and drive carelessly would be made to face the full rigours of the law.