Drivers, passengers and some residents of Asitey-Kojornya in the Lower Manya Krobo municipality of the Eastern Region have expressed concern about the spate of accidents in the Ayemersu-Asitey enclave on the Odumase-Asesewa road and appealed to government and other stakeholder institutions to strengthen their surveillance mechanisms to reduce the carnage on the roads.
Several accidents continue to be recorded in the area which remains one of the accident hotspots in the Region.
The Asitey-Ayemersu stretch of the road characterised by many curves and bends has remained a dreaded area over the years with many terrifying accidents being recorded in the process.
Following the killing of a tipper truck mate on the 18th of July, three more accidents have been recorded with several casualties.
Though no deaths were recorded in the last incidents that occurred over the past two months, many sustained life-threatening injuries in the process.
In the last accident involving a benz bus with registration number GR 8446 H, nine out of fourteen passengers aboard including a baby sustained serious injuiries with two being referred to the Eastern Regional hospital in Koforidua.
The vehicle was on its way from Akateng in the Eastern Region to Ada in the Greater Accra Region when the vehicle failed its brakes while descending the Asitey mountains, landing in the ditch at Korjornya.
The vehicle loaded with drums of akpeteshie, cassava dough, charcoal and other goods rammed into the ditch and landed on its roof with its wheels in the air.
Most of the victims sustained serious injuries and were rushed to the Atua government hospital.
Narrating circustances that resutted in the latest accident to GhanaWeb, one of the driver’s mates aboard the vehicle who gave his name as Solomon said the vehicle developed a mechanical problem.
“Last night when coming, we got long shaft problem so after we climbed the mountain, and descending, the brakes failed so our master couldn’t control the brakes so my brother followed me to the back of the vehicle,” he recounted, adding that the vehicle somersaulted severally before eventually ending up in the ditch.
Asked how he felt realizing that the vehicle was heading towards a crash, he said, “To me I was at the back so I took it normal, anything can happen, I can die or I can leave alive. That was my thinking so when going down too I took it normal."
Although the two mates escaped unhurt, they cited some minor pains in their legs and thighs.
One of several residents whose lives and properties have been on the line is Kpabitey Michael. With their home located just meters away from the dreaded curve, vehicles that fall into the ditch end up only a few meters away from crashing into their home.
On one occasion however, he recalled how a tipper truck which had failed its breaks, ended up in the ditch and rammed into their home, breaking down parts of their house in the process.
In the latest accident however, Michael told GhanaWeb how they rushed to the scene of the accident upon hearing the sound of the crash.
“When I heard the sound that the accident had happened, I quickly rushed to the place and met two guys (mates) when I got in touch with them they told me there’s a baby in the car. So we were trying to find out where the baby is, we got the baby and they told me the mom was under the seat so we rushed and picked the mom too before we tried to bring other people out.
According to him, the baby’s mother and the driver were in a critical condition at the time they rescued them.
Narrating the risks they take by living in and operating a business from the building directly at the edge of the valley, Michael said occupants of the house have been forced to relocate for fear of their lives.
He said, “It has caused a lot of harm to us, now I’m in a rented apartment. This is where I do my business but I’m not living here anymore because by the time you try to relocate here again, an accident happens.”
He called on the government to relocate the occupants of the house to avert any disaster in the future.
John Kwao Bodua, GPRTU chairman at Odumase responding to the latest series of crashes on the road said the area was notorious for accidents.
"This particular area is accident prone area. Whenever a car actually fails breaks, this is the spot where it's involved in accident and a lot of accidents have occurred in this area," said the GPRTU chairman, adding that persistent calls on authorities to address the problem have fallen on deaf ears.
He complained: "We've made appeals to the Minister of highways to come to our assistance either they can divert the road or what to do, in fact, we haven't received any positive result. So we're pleading with the Minister in charge to come to our aid so that those accidents will stop to save lives."
Though Mr. John Bodua said drivers of the GPRTU were conversant with the terrain and competent enough to successfully navigate their way through the area, he said the Union organizes regular education for its members nevertheless to avert and help address the problem in their own way.
He cautioned road users who ply the road to do so cautiously to save lives.
