
The 16-year-old boy involved in a fatal accident at East Legon, which resulted in the deaths of two individuals, has been remanded once again.
The juvenile, facing eight charges including manslaughter, negligent harm, dangerous driving, and driving without a license, was initially remanded after his court appearance last Friday. At that time, he pleaded not guilty to all charges before the Family and Juvenile Court.
Details regarding his custody remain uncertain, as the proceedings were not open to the public. According to Section 23 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2003 (Act 653), if a juvenile is not released on bail, the court has the discretion to place them either in the care of a guardian or close relative or, alternatively, in a remand home located within reasonable proximity to the court.
The case has been adjourned until November 13, 2024.
Prosecution’s facts
The facts presented by Assistant State Attorney, Ebenezer Yaw Acquah were that despite his age and his lack of a valid driving licence, his family members regularly gave him access to cars that they owned and permitted him to drive.
On October 12, 2024, the prosecutor said the family threw a birthday party for Elyon at an event centre in East Legon.
During the party, he said the juvenile asked one Linda Bonsu Bempah for the keys to his mother’s Jaguar F-Pace sports car.
Linda is a personal assistant to Elyon Amoako and, during her duties supervising events at the party, had been given the keys to hold on to.
While the party went on, the 15-year-old asked Linda to give him the keys to the car and she did. He took the car and drove with one of his friends to the A&C mall where they met some more friends who were waiting in two SUVs.
Convoy
The three cars formed a convoy, led by the accused person in his mother’s car, and drove through the East Legon area.
The prosecutor said that at a section of the Dzane-Ashie Road and despite the presence of other vehicles on the road, the accused person decided to show off the speed of the Jaguar F-Pace, adding that the accused was at top speed in no time and approached a T-junction at the Mensah Wood Avenue recklessly with no regard for the other road users.
At that speed, he got to the junction just as the driver of Acura, Joseph Ackah, had slowed down to navigate the turn.
Mr Acquah told the court that the “16-year-old rammed into the rear of the Acura; the collision was violent and destructive, propelling both vehicles flying across the street and smashing into the wall of the house opposite the junction, destroying an ECG pole in the process.
“Both cars immediately caught fire which turned into a raging inferno in no time. The accused person managed to force himself out of the vehicle he was driving, his passenger too.”
“Joseph Ackah had been driving his boss’ two daughters – one of them a toddler – and their friends who were both 12 years old. They were trapped. Bystanders rushed to the scene with fire extinguishers but were unable to suppress the flames,” he said.
The driver forced his door open and fell into the flames that were already around the car before he was dragged to safety.
One of the volunteers, the prosecutor said, pulled the toddler out of the burning car while others managed to free her sister from the back seat.
Their friends, however, remained trapped and as the flames intensified, the volunteers had to give up their efforts, looking on as the car burnt down unable to save the two remaining girls.
The prosecutor told the court that the investigation that followed established that the accused person had been driving in a manner that fell way below what was expected of any competent and careful driver and in such a reckless manner that it endangered the lives of both vehicles and pedestrians along the road.
The accused, Mr Acquah, admitted that he took the keys from Linda Bempah, picked up his friend and drove to the A&C mall.
Source: graphic.com.gh