Seventeen students from Ampeah Memorial School in Nkawkaw are in critical condition following a tragic motor accident on the Nkawkaw section of the Kumasi-Accra road late Thursday afternoon.
Sadly, three male students and a female teacher have been confirmed dead.
The accident involved a Nissan Patrol vehicle, reported to be the official vehicle of the District Chief Executive for Atwima Kwanwoma in the Ashanti region, Prince Karikari, colliding with a Hyundai minibus.
According to eyewitnesses, the Nissan Patrol driver attempted an unauthorized U-turn while driving on the road’s shoulders from the Accra-Kumasi direction near Nanchia.
All the victims, including a female teacher named Dorcas Dede, passed away while receiving treatment at Holy Family Hospital in Nkawkaw after being rushed there.
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The accident occurred around 3:30 p.m. while the victims, consisting of pupils from Ampeah Memorial School and their teachers, including the driver identified as Agya Ofosu Addo, were returning home after school.
Eyewitnesses reported that the minibus driver, with registration GE 2291-10, took an unauthorized route to join the Nkawkaw bypass at Nanchia after entering the dual carriageway. The driver then drove on the road’s shoulders before attempting the unapproved turn.
Agya Ofosu suddenly attempted a U-turn to join the Kumasi-Accra lanes. It was during this maneuver that the DCE’s vehicle, with registration number GT 8455-19, descending from the Accra-Kumasi direction of the highway, collided with the bus.
Sixteen of the victims, including the bus driver, 11 students, and a female teacher, were rushed to Holy Family Hospital in Nkwakaw for treatment.
Of this group, four, including three boys and a female teacher identified as Dorcas Dede, were pronounced dead while receiving treatment.
The DCE for Atwima Kwanwoma, his driver, and three other passengers on the Nissan Patrol were also admitted to the same hospital, where they remain in stable condition.
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As of 11 p.m. on Thursday, checks at Agyarkwa Hospital revealed that three out of six students rushed there had been referred to Koforidua General Hospital for further treatment. This means three students and another female teacher identified as Bernice Agyei remain hospitalized.
News of the accident quickly spread, prompting many residents, especially parents of Ampeah Memorial School students, to rush to hospitals in search of their children. Hospital management, with police support, faced a challenging task in managing the situation.
