Two EC officers die in road crash
Two Returning Officers of the forthcoming general elections died on the spot on the Sunyani-Techiman Highway when a Benz Tipper Truck loaded with sand veered off its lane and crushed into their Nissan Sentra Saloon car with registration number GC 4787 - 09 at about 3.25 pm Wednesday.
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The two were returning to their stations after a swearing-in ceremony as Returning Officers in Sunyani when they were involved in the accident.
The accident, according the police, occurred at a stretch on the road very close to a village, Kobedi near Chiraa on the highway.
The deceased, who were all in the saloon car, have been identified as David Adu Damoah, 54, who is the Assistant Headmaster in-charge of Administration at the Wenchi Methodist Senior High School and Agyei Beseah, a Ghana Education Service Circuit Supervisor.
A third occupant on board the salon car, identified as Thomas Agyapong, 42, a Housemaster at the Wenchi Senior High School, who survived the gory accident, is currently receiving treatment at the Regional Hospital in Sunyani.
The three, according to reports have been recruited as returning officers for the forthcoming general elections and were returning from a swearing-in ceremony in Sunyani when they were involved in the accident.
MTTD
The Brong Ahafo Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent Daniel Oppong Asirifi confirmed the incident and stated that the driver of the tipper truck with registration number BA 370 - 13, Joseph Sonko, 32, had been arrested and placed in police custody.
The deceased, according to him had also been conveyed to the morgue at the Regional Hospital, Sunyani.
He advised drivers plying the Sunyani-Techiman Highyway to be extra careful on the stretch of the road where the accident occurred due to its narrow nature.
Regional EC Director
Speaking to Graphic Online the Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, Mr George Gyabaah said the two were part of the returning officers who were sworn in at a ceremony in Sunyani on Wednesday to enable them receive nominations of prospective parliamentary candidates in the region.
“It was shocking therefore to hear some hours after the swearing in ceremony that they have been involved in an accident leading to their deaths”.
He explained that one of the deceased, David Adu Damoah was the Wenchi Constituency Returning Officer while the other deceased, Agyei Beseah and the survivor, Thomas Agyapong were his two deputies.
Mr Gyabaah said as an interim measure, two deputy returning officers from the nearby Techiman North and South constituencies had been directed to take charge and receive the nominations of the prospective parliamentary candidates in the Wenchi Constituency.
He added that the EC would take a decision later on to replace the deceased.
