Accident involving President's car - court remands driver

November 17, 2007 (Front Page)

Story: Mabel Aku Baneseh

THE 51-year-old man at the centre of President J. A. Kufuor’s car crash last Wednesday was yesterday remanded in custody by the Accra District Magistrate Court.
Thomas Osei, whose saloon car ran into the President’s car, was charged with four counts of dangerous driving, negligently causing harm, driving under the influence of alcohol and failing to give way to a Presidential convoy.
His plea was not taken and he was remanded by the court, popularly known as the “Motor Court”, to appear again on November 30, 2007.
Osei, who had a bandage on his left eyebrow, was whisked away in a waiting police vehicle immediately after the court hearing.
Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Dora Seiwaah prayed the court to remand the accused person because investigations were ongoing.
Osei did not have legal representation.
The facts of the case are that around 11.30 a.m. on November 14, 2007, Osei was spotted driving a Mercedes Benz SE 500 saloon car in the inner lane along the Liberation Link from the direction of Aviance towards the 37 Military Hospital.
On arriving at a spot a few metres from the Opeibea House traffic lights, the accused person ignored the siren of the Presidential convoy and drove straight into the rear side of the President’s vehicle.
The President’s car, which was in the middle lane, was by then being driven by Mr Osafo Addo from the direction of the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange towards the Castle, Osu, along the Liberation Road.
The prosecutor said the impact of the crash forced the President’s vehicle to turn around, hit a light pole and in the process fell on its right side and landed on a VW Golf saloon car
All the vehicles involved in the accident got damaged, while the drivers sustained various degrees of injury and were rushed to the 37 Military Hospital for treatment.
Mr Addo and the driver of the VW saloon car were treated and discharged, while Osei was admitted for treatment.
The President, however, escaped unhurt.
The police say initial investigations revealed that Osei was driving under the influence of alcohol.