Sprinter Bus Slams into Parked Tipper Truck at Atwedie, 5 Fight for Life After 3-Hour Rescue Ordeal
A catastrophic collision on the Kumasi-Accra Highway at Atwedie near Konongo has left five passengers in critical condition and 11 others severely injured after a Sprinter bus (GR 6626-22) rammed into a stationary tipper truck early Saturday morning.
The fiery accident, which unfolded around 5:30 a.m. amid dense fog and poor visibility, trapped two front-seat victims in the mangled wreckage for nearly three hours, requiring a grueling extraction by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) using hydraulic tools and cutting torches.
Eyewitnesses recounted the terror: the bus, en route from Kumasi to Accra with 28 passengers, was navigating a sharp curve when the driver allegedly lost control, plowing into the parked tipper loaded with gravel.
“The bus was speeding, and suddenly it veered off—metal twisting, screams everywhere,” said local trader Akosua Mensah, who rushed to aid the injured. The impact sheared the bus’s front, ejecting debris and sparking a minor blaze quickly doused by responders.
No fatalities have been confirmed, but medical sources at Juaso Government Hospital fear the five critically injured—suffering internal bleeding and fractures—may not survive without urgent surgery.
The GNFS team from Konongo, arriving within 15 minutes, battled the twisted frame to free the trapped duo, a feat praised by Ashanti Regional Fire Commander DFO Michael Yaw Boateng as “a testament to our preparedness.” Security from the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) cordoned the site, diverting traffic on the artery that sees 50,000 vehicles daily, contributing to 1,200 crashes annually per MTTD stats. The tipper driver, who had pulled over for a tire issue, escaped unharmed but faces scrutiny over parking protocols.
This tragedy amplifies alarms over the N6 highway’s hazards—potholes, overloading, and reckless driving claim 300 lives yearly in the Ashanti Region alone.
The bus driver, now under police guard at the hospital, claimed the tipper was “unmarked and sudden,” while witnesses pointed to speeding.
As victims receive care—11 stable, five critical—the MTTD vows a probe, urging drivers to heed speed limits (80 km/h) and weather warnings in Ghana’s rainy peak.
