Twelve killed, two critically injured in Kumasi-Techiman highway crash

At least 12 people have died and two others remain critically injured after a commercial minibus collided head-on with a trailer on Ghana’s Kumasi-Techiman highway near Akumadan, renewing concerns over reckless driving, overtaking practices and road safety enforcement.

AKUMADAN, Ghana —
Twelve people were killed and two others critically injured after a commercial minibus collided head-on with a trailer on the Kumasi-Techiman highway near Akumadan in Ghana’s Ashanti Region, hospital officials and local media reported on Tuesday.

The crash occurred near Nkekensu in the Offinso North District and involved a commercial passenger vehicle travelling from Kumasi towards Techiman and an oncoming cargo truck heading in the opposite direction. Witnesses described scenes of panic as residents and motorists attempted to rescue trapped passengers from the wreckage before emergency teams arrived.

The collision left severely damaged vehicles, shattered glass and scattered personal belongings across the highway, temporarily disrupting traffic on one of Ghana’s busiest transport corridors.

Eyewitnesses cite possible overtaking attempt

Eyewitnesses alleged the commercial vehicle attempted to overtake another vehicle before veering into the path of the oncoming trailer, although police had not officially confirmed the cause of the crash at the time of publication. Images from the scene showed the minibus almost completely crushed by the impact, while sections of the trailer’s front cabin sustained extensive damage.

An eyewitness identified as Eric told local media that emergency medical assistance arrived more than an hour after the collision occurred around 2:00 p.m. local time. “It took more than an hour before an ambulance arrived to transport the injured victims to the hospital,” he said.

Hospital appeals for identification support

Officials at Nkekensu Government Hospital confirmed that 12 victims were pronounced dead on arrival, while two survivors remained under intensive medical care.

Relatives later gathered at the hospital seeking information about family members believed to have travelled on the vehicle involved in the crash. Dr Samuel Freeman Mensah of Nkekensu Government Hospital appealed to members of the public to assist authorities in identifying victims so families could be contacted quickly.

“The situation is heartbreaking. We are appealing to anyone whose relative may have travelled on that route to come to the facility and assist with identification,” he said. The bodies of the deceased were transferred to the hospital mortuary pending identification and preservation. Police investigators have launched enquiries into the crash, while damaged vehicles were later removed to ease traffic congestion along the highway.

Road safety concerns renewed

The latest tragedy has renewed public concern over speeding, reckless driving and overtaking practices on Ghana’s major highways. Residents and commercial drivers in the area described the Kumasi-Techiman highway as one of the country’s most accident-prone roads and called for stricter enforcement of traffic regulations.

Ghana continues to record hundreds of fatal road crashes annually, with transport authorities repeatedly citing speeding, driver indiscipline and dangerous overtaking as leading causes of highway deaths. The National Road Safety Authority has previously warned that poor compliance with road traffic regulations remains a major public safety challenge across the country.

Reporting and analysis by Nukunya News Desk.