Tipper truck owner fined one million cedis

Tema, May 22, GNA- A tipper truck owner who pleaded guilty to permitting the use of his un-insured vehicle has been fined one million cedis by the Tem circuit court "A". Bernard Teye will go to prison for three months in default. In the dock with him was Nathaniel Teye, driver of Teye, who was charged with driving without care and attention as well as causing harm, which he pleaded not guilty. He was granted 50 million cedis bail to reappear on June 15 2004.

Police Chief Inspector Mary Assunta told the court that on August 25, 2003, at about 2000 hours, Nathaniel was driving a Leyland tipper truck from Prampram to Ashaiman with defective headlight. On reaching a section of the road called "Mitso", the accused decided to over take another vehicle. At the same time, an Urvan bus, which was coming from opposite direction with eight passengers on board saw the accused truck with a defective headlight.

Chief Inspector Assunta said while the two vehicles got closer, the bus driver seeing the danger ahead, tried to swerve away to avoid collision, but it ran into the back axle of the tipper truck. Nine passengers on the bus and two others on the truck were seriously injured and rushed to Tema General Hospital for treatment. Investigations showed that the truck was un-insured, and had defective headlights, the prosecution said.