TRAGEDY : Street Hawker Crushed To Death In Kumasi

Unidentified street vendor in Kumasi has been crushed to death by an articulated vehicle. According to eyewitnesses, had it not been for the driver's tact, many more people, including pedestrians, could have been slain due to the dense human and vehicular traffic in the area.


The tragedy reportedly occurred at approximately 5:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 4, 2023.

It occurred in 'Dr. Mensah,' a suburb of the Manhyia Sub-Metro in the city of Kumasi. According to the testimony of eyewitnesses, the articulated vehicle with the license plate number GT 7452 Y was one of the numerous heavy-duty trucks that had come to unload bales of secondhand clothing at dealers' stores near Manhyia.

When Chris News Media stumbled upon the incident, it was discovered that the victim is a street vendor along the single-lane road leading from the Apagyafie neighborhood near Manhyia to Kejetia.

The unidentified woman is among the numerous women who have been traveling to this stretch of the narrow road daily at dawn to sell their wares.

She was reportedly peddling cabbage and cucumbers alongside others. Some eyewitnesses described the accident's circumstances to us.

The victim was dragged by the truck, which reportedly lacked a brake, for approximately 50 meters before it was able to halt, leaving her body severely disfigured with only her arms and legs remaining for identification.

As our source departed the scene at approximately 7 a.m., the remains were still under the truck as shocked and saddened members of the public, including her fellow street vendors, gathered to contemplate the accident.


The driver of the completely loaded articulated truck had reportedly gone to the police station to file a formal complaint about the tragedy so that the law could take its course.

The most recent accident is not the first to occur in the area; it follows a similar calamity that occurred about nine months ago when a female pedestrian was struck from behind by a trotro bus.

Due to the occupation of the pedestrian sidewalk, the lady was forced to contend with vehicles on that stretch of road.

The area between Apagyafie near Manhyia and the Kejetia Market area has been one of the most congested in Kumasi for some time, with hawkers, itinerant gospel preachers, representatives of orphanages begging for alms, beggars, and money changers occupying almost all of the pedestrian sidewalks and city authorities showing little concern.

Pedestrians have been abandoned and, particularly during rush hour, compete fiercely with vehicles, motorized tricycles, and others for road space.

Despite the hazards associated with roadside hawking, the hawkers remain adamant and either blame city authorities or, in an effort to protect themselves and their children, reject any suggestion to vacate the area.

Following the most recent tragedy, a few peddlers and eyewitnesses spoke

A laborer at the under-construction Total Fuel Station at 'Dr. Mensah' Mohammed Alhassan stated that he has advised the hawkers who operate behind the iron sheet fence to relocate, but they have refused.

Madam Mercy Appiah, a vendor who also sells her wares near where the accident occurred, stated, "If we had been provided with a decent place to sell and pay fees, we would have relocated."

Approximately six months ago, a similar tragedy occurred at the Suame Roundabout, another suburb where street hawking is prevalent despite the fact that city authorities at one point drove them away from that area, but they eventually found their way back, unlike along the 'Dr. Mensah'-Kejetia area.