The driver who was accused of causing the train catastrophe, Abel Dzidotor, was given a six-month jail sentence.
Benjamin Aklama of Citi News reports that Dzidotor acknowledged his guilt on three of the four accusations made against him.
Among these offenses include careless driving and inflicting damage without authorization.
The initial accusation concerned irresponsible and thoughtless driving, which contravened Section 3 of RTA Act 683 (2004), as modified by Act 761 of 2008.
After entering a guilty plea, Dzidotor was sentenced to 100 penalty units, which, if unpaid, might result in a 20-month jail sentence.
The second charge was for unauthorized stopping, in violation of Section 19 of Act 683 of 2004, as amended by Act 761 of 2008. Dzidotor pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 penalty units, or a five-month jail term if unpaid.
The third charge was for causing unlawful damage, contrary to section 172b of Act 2960. Dzidotor pleaded guilty and received a six-month sentence in hard labour.
The fourth charge was for failing to produce a driver’s license, contrary to regulation 47(2) of LI 21(80). Dzidotor pleaded not guilty, asserting that his license was within the damaged vehicle.
He has been instructed to present the license to the court by May 9, 2024, or face potential consequences.”
The Ghana Police Service arrested the driver of the Hyundai truck with registration number GS 9018 – 20 for allegedly causing the accident involving the newly imported train on the Tema-Mpakadan railway line on Thursday.
The newly imported train from Poland was involved in an accident during a test run.
In a statement, the Police said their preliminary investigation had established that the suspect driver left the said vehicle unattended on the railway line, leading to a collision with the train.
The truck driver is said to have gone to deliver cement blocks when the truck got stuck on the rail after he was unable to use a pass-through under the bridge.
