GNA reporter recounts fatal presidential press corps’ accident

daniel russell

August 21, 2015 10:38 AM

Ghanaian Times reporter, Samuel Nuamah, who was part of President Mahama's press corps on their way to Accra from the Volta Regional capital, Ho, died in the accident.

The deceased, Samuel Nuamah.

Ghana News Agency’s presidential correspondent, George Ramsey has indicated that it will be very judgemental on his part to say that the fatal presidential press corps accident occurred because the driver of the van was driving at a higher speed.

According to him, he was working on his IPad to get his story through only to hear a sound of a burst tyre. The driver lost control, he thinks.

Narrating the incident on TV3’s on Thursday, the reporter said he believes the car somersaulted three times before landing in a water-filled valley. According to him, he stood in at his waist level before forcing his way out.

“Actually, I just cannot say at all what happened because I was in the vehicle working on my IPad just to get my story through. All of a sudden, I heard a sound which sounded like the burst of a tyre. When I turned, I realised that everybody was being tilted in the vehicle; the driver just lost control of it, he entered into the bush. I want to believe we somersaulted about three times,” he narrated.

“Finally, it fell into a valley. There was a lot of water in it. When I managed to get out of the vehicle, I stood in the water at a waist level. I dropped back; the second time, I dropped back again. The way the place was, it was difficult for even by-standers to rescue us. So finally, I managed to hold a part of the vehicle and went behind it, and I came out of the mud,” he added.

When asked about the reaction of emergency services, Mr. Ramsey said, “We were not in a full convoy with the president. We were moving separately. Our vehicles were two. When it happened, the others were not there. It took about 10-15 minutes before they alerted some of the vehicles to come to our place and immediately they got there. The good thing was that the other car was not involved in the accident so they collected those of us who were injured into the other vehicle and the occupants of that particular vehicle were left behind waiting for another vehicle. So quickly, they took us to Michel Camp Military Hospital and it was there that we were airlifted by the helicopter to 37.”

Ghanaian Times reporter, Samuel Nuamah, who was part of President Mahama's press corps on their way to Accra from the Volta Regional capital, Ho, died in the accident on Thursday afternoon around Dodowa.

READ MORE: > Mahama visits injured journalists

Three others, Pascaline Adadevoh of GBC, Napoleon Ato Kittoe of GTV, Patrick Bida are reported to be responding to treatment.

There were 20 journalists in the vehicle.

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daniel russell