Four Dead, One Critical in Sprinter Bus Crash Near Tuba, Delays in Medical Transfer Highlight Emergency Gaps
A horrific collision near the Kasoa tollbooth on the Accra-Kumasi highway has claimed four lives and left one passenger in critical condition, underscoring the lethal perils of congestion and emergency response lags on Ghana’s busiest corridor.
The accident, which unfolded around 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, involved a fully loaded Sprinter minibus (GW 7455-18) en route from Accra to Kasoa slamming into the rear of a reversing Jeep 4×4 (GR 7673), sending the bus somersaulting multiple times before it came to rest in a mangled heap, ejecting passengers and trapping others in the wreckage.
Eyewitnesses described a scene of pandemonium: the minibus, carrying over 20 commuters including women and children, was navigating heavy morning traffic when the Jeep—allegedly backing up without signals—blocked its path, leading to the catastrophic impact.
“The bus flipped three times; screams were everywhere as people flew out,” recounted trader Akosua Mensah, who helped pull survivors from the twisted metal.
Two victims died instantly at the scene, a third en route to Ngleshie Amanfro Polyclinic, and the fourth at the facility, while the sole critically injured survivor faced a harrowing hour-long delay for transfer to a major hospital due to ambulance shortages and facility overloads.
The Ga South Municipal Police, aided by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and National Ambulance Service, responded within 20 minutes, battling to extricate trapped victims amid snarled traffic that backed up for kilometers.
The Jeep driver, who sustained minor injuries, faces charges of reckless driving under the Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683), while the bus driver is under investigation for possible speeding. The deceased—yet to be formally identified—have been deposited at the Weija Polyclinic mortuary, with families arriving in droves for DNA confirmation.
This tragedy, the third fatal crash on the Kasoa stretch in two weeks, amplifies cries for infrastructure upgrades on the N1 highway, a 100-km artery plagued by potholes, overloading, and poor signage that claims 300 lives annually in Greater Accra alone, per MTTD data.
The tollbooth area, notorious for bottlenecks and reversing maneuvers, saw a similar Sprinter pile-up in September killing five.
As the injured fight for life at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital—finally transferred after delays—the Ga South MCE has pledged emergency lighting and barriers, but experts warn systemic reforms are overdue in Ghana’s road safety crisis, where 70% of fatalities stem from human error and poor maintenance.
