‘Sleepy driver’ kills policeman at checkpoint

A driver, allegedly drowsy behind the wheel, but unwilling to pull over and rest, has fatally collided with a police officer in GomoaMpota in the Central Region.

The incident happened at the GomoaMpota checkpoint during the late hours of Friday, June 21, 2024.The victim of the incident was identified as Police Officer Stephen NiiQuaye, a dedicated member of the Winneba Divisional Police Command.

Officer Quaye’s untimely death occurred when he was performing his duty, stopping a vehicle at the checkpoint.

At this time, a blue Kia truck bearing the registration number GR-6419-N approached from behind, having allegedly struck two other vehicles earlier, a trailer identified as GE 5468-22 and a fuel tanker registered as GY-2186-13, before colliding with the checkpoint structure and fatally injuring Officer Quaye.

Eyewitnesses on the scene recounted that the driver of the Kia truck admitted to falling asleep at the wheel just before the accident. This lapse in attention resulted in the tragic loss of Officer Quaye’s life and caused significant damage to property and other vehicles involved.

In the aftermath of the collision, three individuals who were passengers in the Kia truck sustained injuries. They were promptly transported to the Winneba Trauma and Specialist Hospital for medical treatment.

The body of Officer Quaye was also conveyed to the same hospital, where it was placed in the mortuary as per protocol.

Authorities are yet to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to the accident to determine accountability and prevent future tragedies of this nature.

The community mourns the loss of Officer Stephen NiiQuaye, reflecting on his service and dedication to maintaining public safety calling on his sub-chiefs and subjects to actively engage in the effort to clean the city in anticipation of the annual festival.