3 Cops Killed At Colleague’s Burial

A GORY VEHICULAR accident last Saturday afternoon claimed the lives of three policemen and one civilian, leaving several other police officers injured at Nyinatokuro near Agogo in the Ashanti Region.

The victims of the horrific vehicular accident were on their way to the cemetery to bury their dead colleague, Lance Corporal Ernest Asamoah, who was shot dead by suspected armed robbers at Galelia near Kasoa, a few weeks ago.

The deceased and injured persons were on board a Police Operation Car with registration number GP 2882 when it somersaulted several times after its back tyres had entered a big pothole on the road while at top speed, as the driver was trying to overtake a Nissan Patrol car.

A police source that divulged the information to DAILY GUIDE named the victims as Lance Corporal Sulley aka 'Last Killer' from the Northern Region, L/Cpl Shaibu Alhassan stationed at the Konongo Police Station and Felix Owusu, but he could not readily disclose the name of the civilian that also perished in the accident after he was knocked down by the car.

The Police Operation car, said to be carrying about 22 men, was in a convoy heading towards the cemetery when suddenly the driver of the vehicle who survived the accident, tried to overtake a Nissan patrol car ahead of him.

In the course of overtaking the Nissan Patrol car, the police driver saw a big hole in front of him, so he managed to dodge it but his back tyres landed heavily into it.

The car that was being driven at top speed then somersaulted several times, resulting in the instant deaths of the four people, a police officer who survived the accident told DAILY GUIDE .

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The accident vehicle
He said several other police personnel that sustained serious injuries during the fatal accident including himself were taken to the Agogo Presbyterian Hospital for prompt medical attention.

The source identified the injured persons as Constable Thomas Kwame, L/Cpl Aveorgbebor, Sergeant Richard Adjei, and Constable David Asante.

The rest who were receiving treatment at the hospital were L/Cpl Emmanuel Gyasi, Cpl Ackah Peter, Cpl Alex Amoavea, Sergeant Francis Boateng and Cpl Emmanuel Oppong Sarpong.

Agogo District Police Commander, DSP Nana Yawson, who was seated at the front, and the driver of the pickup van, also sustained injuries.

Doctors at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital's Accident and Emergency Center said all the 10 survivors were in stable condition, responding to treatment.

The majority of them sustained head injuries, one being very serious; while others had fractured limbs and hands. 

A source, who was in the car, speaking on condition of anonymity, blamed their driver for the accident.

He said the driver drove at an excessively top speed, compelling some of those on board the vehicle to question him.

The driver reportedly became angry and exchanged verbal assaults with those that criticized his driving skills before continuing with the journey.

The source said he was not surprised when the accident occurred, adding that he could not remember anything after the car had started somersaulting. 'When I woke up I was on the hospital bed,' he noted.

Meanwhile, reports reaching DAILY GUIDE on Sunday afternoon indicated that the police officers on admission at the hospital were facing difficulties as regards settling their medical bills.

A source hinted that the police officers did not have their NHIS cards on them and were initially asked to pay their medical bills in cash.

The police officers, especially those that traveled from Accra to attend the funeral, did not have enough cash on them; so they were struggling to settle their medical bills.

The source said the police hierarchy was yet to visit the hospital to offer help to them almost 24 hours after the gory accident.

FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi