TWO KILLED IN TOLL BOOTH ACCIDENT (PAGE 3, FEB 15, 2010)

AN articulated truck early yesterday morning rammed into the toll booth at Beposo in the Shama District of the Western Region, killing two persons and injuring another.
The deceased were the driver of the truck, with registration number GR 2301 J, and a toll booth attendant, while another toll booth attendant sustained serious injuries.
The driver, Imoro Tanko, 52, and Thomas Opoku, 38, died instantly, while Fred Kurankyie sustained serious injuries. The dead and the injured were later conveyed to the Effia-Nkwantah Regional Hospital in Sekondi.
The incident, which occurred around 3:15 a.m., destroyed the toll booth, impeding traffic on the Accra-Takoradi Highway for many hours until the police managed to clear the wreckage.
The Western Regional Commander of the MTTU, DSP Dan Dzakah, told the Daily Graphic that the driver of the truck was returning from Tarkwa where he had delivered a consignment to a mining firm.
He said information at various checkpoints at Inchaban, Assoko and Assaman indicated that the officers on duty at that time of the night had tried to stop the truck, which was said to be travelling at unacceptable speed, but the driver refused to stop.
He said another piece of information gathered by the police indicated that the driver had been told to stop over in Takoradi to rest but he was said to have ignored the advice in his quest to get back to Tema before the following day.
DSP Dzakah said before the police could send a signal to Beposo, the driver had already rammed the truck into the structure, destroying it and causing the deaths and the injuries in the process.
He said the police were yet to locate the owner of the truck.
The Deputy Western Regional Crime Officer, Mr Dan Dartey, said even after ignoring the police early on, there were many road signs about 600 metres before the toll bridge that should have alerted the driver that there was a mandatory stop ahead.
Some eyewitnesses said the driver had been driving at top speed and that before he could hear the shouts of caution from the onlookers, it was too late.