By Gifty Amofa
Accra, Jan.26, GNA – A police patrol vehicle pursuing criminal suspects plunged into an abandoned mining pit in Kwawu, killing Police General Constable Prince Amoah and injuring three others.
The survivors, Constable Martha Ansah, General Corporal Frederick Cobbinah, the service driver, and General Constable Bright Adinkrah, were rescued by divers and taken to Kwawu Health Centre for medical care.
According to a police news brief, the victims and deceased were part of a Divisional taskforce team assigned to cover a special inter-schools sports and gala competition at Kwawu. They were also on routine mobile patrols.
The team leader stated that while monitoring the Enchi-Ellubo route, they were told of three unregistered motorbikes with suspicious backpacks on the pillion riders, who had failed to stop at the Asemkrom snap checkpoint and were heading towards Enchi.
The patrol team then spotted the suspicious motorcyclists coming from Omanpe and signalled for them to stop, but the riders disregarded the order.
The team pursued the motorcyclist until they took a wrong turn on an adjourning road about two miles from Kwawu township. They became stuck in an improvised wooden bridge on a river near an abandoned mining pit, 150 meters from the main road.
The driver, General Corporal Cobbinah, attempted to reverse the service vehicle to safety, but the wooden bridge collapsed, causing the car to fall into the river with the occupants.
According to the report, information reached Nana Kabaah II, the Chief of Kwawu, and the police officers stationed at the inter-school gala competition.
Divers responded immediately to rescue the victims and recover the deceased’s body, which was trapped beneath the service vehicle in the river, according to the brief.
The survivors are currently receiving treatment at Samatex Hospital, Samreboi, while the body was transported to the Enchi Government Hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy to determine the cause of death.
According to the brief, the service vehicle and missing service rifles were recovered from the site, and the damaged car was taken to a nearby fuel station for safety.
GNA