Here is an excerpt of the charge sheet for the minor who caused the fatal accident at East Legon on October 12. It details events before the tragic incident.
Please read on.
The Accused person is a sixteen-year-old student and a resident of Adjiringanor in Accra. Despite his age and his lack of a valid driver’s licence, his family members regularly gave him access to cars that they own and permitted him to drive.
On 12th October 2024, the family threw a birthday party for his elder brother at an event centre in East Legon. During the party, the Accused person asked for the keys to his mother’s Jaguar F-Pace Sport (GN 7801-20) from the a personal assistant to his brother and during her duties supervising events at the party, had been given the keys to hold on to.
While the party went on, the Accused person asked the PA to give him the keys to the car and she did. He took the car and drove with one of his friends to the A&C mall where they met some more friends who were waiting in two SUVs.
The three cars formed a convoy, led by the Accused person in his mother’s car, and drove through the East Legon area. At a section of the Dzane-Ashie Road and despite the presence of other vehicles on the road, the Accused person decided to show off the speed of the Jaguar F- Pace Sport.
He was at top speed in no time had approached a T-junction at the Mensah Wood Avenue recklessly with no regard for the other road users. At that speed, he got to the junction just as the driver of Acura SUV (GR 2542-23), Joseph Ackah, had slowed down to navigate the turn.
The Accused person rammed into the rear of the Acura; the collision was violent and destructive, propelling both vehicles flying across the street and smashing into the wall of the house opposite the junction, destroying an ECG pole in the process.
Both cars immediately caught fire which turned into a raging inferno in no time. The Accused person managed to force himself out of the vehicle he was driving, his passenger too.
Joseph Ackah had been driving his boss’ two daughters – one of them a toddler- and their friends Maame Dwomoh Boateng and Justine Agbenu who were both 12 years old. They were trapped. Bystanders rushed to the scene with fire extinguishers but were unable to suppress the flames. Joseph Ackah forced his door open and fell into the flames that were already around the car before he was dragged to safety.
One of the volunteers pulled the toddler out of the burning car. Others managed to free her sister from the back seat. Their friends however remained trapped and as the flames intensified the volunteers had to give up their efforts, looking on as the car burnt down unable to save the two remaining girls.
The Accused person and the rescued victims were all rushed to the hospital with varying degrees of injuries. The investigation that followed established that the Accused person had been driving in a manner that fell way below what is expected of any competent and careful driver and in such a reckless manner that it endangered the lives of both vehicles and pedestrians along the road.
An investigation cautioned statement was collected from the Accused person. He admitted that he had taken the keys from the PA, picked up his friend and driven to the A&C mall.
The case docket was forwarded to the Office of the Attorney-General for study and advice. Based on the facts and the evidence gathered, the Attorney-General advised that the Accused person be charged with the offences of Manslaughter, Negligently Causing Harm, Dangerous Driving and Driving without a Valid licence.
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