Learner Driver Runs Over Woman

A 76-year-old woman has been killed by a learner driver at Tamale, the Northern Regional capital.

The learner driver, Zainab Shaibu, believed to be the mother of Alhassan Suhuyini, parliamentary candidate of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Tamale South Constituency of the Northern Region, was said to be driving a BMW salon car registered GR 8711-15, with an 'L' (learner) plate.

Reports indicated that two motorbikes which were parked by the roadside were crushed by the vehicle before it finally knocked down the aged woman; and some eyewitnesses wondered whether she knew how to drive or she was just learning how to do it.

DAILY GUIDE gathered that deceased (name yet unknown) came out of a mosque at the Changli area in Tamale to cross the road back home when she was knocked down.

The situation caused vehicular traffic and some relatives of Suhuyini purportedly prevented people from taking shots of the scene.

The police were informed about the accident and they came to tow the vehicle to the police station and a report of the incident was subsequently made by the family of the deceased.

An eyewitness, Mohammed, told DAILY GUIDE that they all came out of the mosque and when they were crossing the road the old lady was knocked down.

“The driver, who is suspected to be a learner, knocked down two motorbikes before she got to the woman; so we don't know if she was still learning how to drive or what because on the car you can see the learning symbol,” another eyewitness said.

According to him, the old lady was rushed to the Tamale Teaching Hospital and around 3:30 pm she passed on.

He indicated that some people believed to be from Suhuyini's family, visited the facility.

The Northern Regional Police Public Relations Office, ASP Ebenezer Tetteh, who narrated the incident to DAILY GUIDE, said Zainab Shaibu (driver) was driving from the Choggo area to the town centre and when she got to the junction near Bonzli Rural Bank, lost control of the vehicle and ran into some motorbikes.

According to him, one of the motorbikes she ran into knocked down the woman, who was crossing the road and she was rushed to the hospital for treatment but was later pronounced dead.

ASP Tetteh indicated that out of shock Zainab Shaibu was also sent to the hospital for treatment.

“We will take her statement when she comes back from the hospital. Meanwhile, the accident vehicle has been towed to the Tamale central MTTD,” he said at the time of filing this report.

He stated that the matter was under investigation.
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale