<<Print>>The heap of sand said to have played a part in the fatal car crash that killed the 20-year-old singer, Ebony Reigns, has been cleared by some residents of Nyamebekyere, near Mankraso in the Ahafo Ano South District of the Ashanti Region.
Ahafo Ano South District Chief Executive, Joseph Agemang Dapaah, confirmed this to Citi News, saying that particular area between Nyamebekyere and Nsuta had seen multiple car crashes.
Mr. Dapaah said the sand had been deposited there sometime in December 2017 for some roadworks. “It was deposited around the Christmas, but they are using it so from time to time, they deposit more. For the contractor that was working on the road, the contract was given maybe in Accra or Kumasi and nobody informed me about it.”
“…but now they have removed the sand from the roadside by some volunteers from a nearby town called Nyamebekyere.
So many accidents occur at the spot. It is because Ebony is a star that is why people are raising alarm. Many people have died over there,” the DCE said.
Ebony, whose real name is Priscilla Opoku-Kwarteng, was returning from Sunyani after visiting her mother who had returned from the UK, when the Jeep she was travelling in crashed into railings on the road edge of the road.
Ebony was travelling with three other people when the accident occurred, killing everyone but the driver.
Police in their preliminary investigations revealed that, the car collided with an oncoming VIP bus, when their driver tried to avoid a heap of sand in their lane.
Full police report on accident
On 08/02/2018, at about 23:45 hours, suspect driver Chartey Oko Pinehad, aged 29, was driving Jeep No. AS497-16 from Sunyani to Accra with three occupants on board, whilst suspect driver Mohammed Abubakar aged 48 years, was also driving KIA Grad Bird [VIP] bus with registration No. GT 3232-17 from Accra to Sunyani with a set of passengers on board.
On reaching a section of the road between Nyamebekyere and Nsuta, there was a heap of sand in the lane of the Jeep which was being used for the road maintenance, and the driver in trying to avoid running into the sand, swerved onto the opposite lane and grazed the nearside portion of the bus and plunged into the railings at the edge of the road, killing the three other occupants identified as Francisca Nkansah Kuri aged 27 years, Priscilla Opoku Kwarteng [Ebony], and Lance Corporal Vondee Francis Atsu, aged 29 years.
The driver sustained injuries and was rushed to Bechem Government hospital for treatment. The occupants on board the bus escaped unhurt.
Bodies conveyed and deposited at Bechem government hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy. Accident vehicle impounded at the station. Suspect driver on enquiry bail.