A devastating accident near Winneba Junction has left four people dead, including three schoolchildren, after a head-on collision between a commercial taxi and a private SUV on the Winneba–Mankessim highway.
The tragic incident, which occurred on the morning of Monday, June 23, 2025, involved a Hyundai Jet taxi with registration number CR 748-20 carrying seven pupils from Winneba to Apam.
The taxi collided head-on with a Toyota RAV4 (GN 5505-18) shortly after the junction, reportedly as the SUV attempted a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre.
The taxi driver died on the spot, while nine others, including the children, were rushed in critical condition to the Winneba Trauma and Specialist Hospital.
Despite medical efforts, three of the children succumbed to their injuries early Tuesday morning, bringing the death toll to four.
Victims Identified as Local Schoolchildren
The deceased schoolchildren were identified as pupils from St. Paul’s School and Uncle Rich Preparatory School; both located in Winneba. The names of the victims are being withheld until their families are formally notified.
According to Winneba Municipal Fire Commander DO2 Fredrick Adu-Roku, the accident was caused by a wrongful overtaking attempt by the Toyota RAV4, which veered directly into the path of the oncoming taxi.
“The collision was unavoidable. The taxi was carrying seven children at the time, and the driver had no chance to react,” DO2 Adu-Roku told Adom News.
Emergency Response and Damage
Personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), led by STNO II Nyarko, responded swiftly to the distress call. They arrived at the scene within minutes and had to extricate the taxi driver’s body from the wreckage using specialized rescue tools.
The Hyundai Jet taxi was completely mangled, while the RAV4 suffered serious front-end damage. Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic and heart-wrenching, with bystanders attempting to comfort the injured children before emergency teams arrived.
Call for Road Safety Awareness
Fire Commander Adu-Roku used the tragic incident to reiterate the urgent need for safer driving practices on Ghana’s roads.
“About 70 percent of accidents in Ghana are due to human error, especially wrongful overtaking. This was entirely avoidable. We urge all motorists to exercise patience, follow road markings, and avoid risky behaviour,” he said.
The Ghana Police Service has launched an investigation into the crash to determine whether any legal action will be taken. The driver of the RAV4 survived the crash and is currently assisting police with inquiries
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