The Tarkwa Circuit Court presided over by His Honour Justice Hathia Ama Mano has sentenced a commercial driver to five years imprisonment following a fatal motor accident. According to a Ghana News Agency report the driver was convicted on charges of dangerous driving and driving under the influence of alcohol. The incident occurred on a section of the N1 highway last Wednesday resulting in the immediate death of a passenger.
Police investigators from the Tarkwa Division presented evidence to the court showing that the driver lost control of the vehicle before it overturned. A Citi Newsroom report indicates the prosecution provided medical reports confirming the presence of alcohol in the blood of the accused at the time of the crash. The court determined that the negligence of the motorist was the primary cause of the loss of life.
The Ghana Police Service statement noted that five other passengers sustained various degrees of injury and were treated at the Tarkwa Municipal Hospital. While the original Ghana News Agency report identified the vehicle as a commercial minibus court records suggest the driver failed to adhere to speed limits posted along the highway. The defense counsel argued for a non custodial sentence but the presiding judge cited the need for a deterrent to other road users.
This sentencing follows several recent warnings by the National Road Safety Authority regarding the rise in highway fatalities. Although the name of the convicted driver was not officially published by the court at the time of the briefing several local media outlets including GhanaWeb confirm the individual has begun his term at the Tarkwa local prison. Official records state that the driver has also been disqualified from holding a license for three years after his release.