Truck driver at centre of new train accident jailed

A court has sentenced Abel Dzidotor, the man responsible for the recent train accident involving the newly-imported train on the Tema-Mpakadan railway line, to a six-month jail term with hard labour.

The sentence, as reported by citinewsroom.com, said that Dzidotor admitted guilt to three out of the four charges leveled against him, which include inconsiderate driving, unauthorized stopping, and causing unlawful damage.

Abel Dzidotor, the report added, pleaded guilty to the charges of careless and inconsiderate driving, unauthorized stopping, and causing unlawful damage, resulting in a sentence of 100 penalty units, 20 penalty units, and a six-month jail term, respectively.

The fourth charge, for failing to produce a driver’s license, was contested by Dzidotor, who claimed his license was inside the damaged vehicle.

He has been instructed to present the license to the court by May 9, 2024, to avoid potential consequences.

The Ghana Police Service arrested Dzidotor for allegedly causing the accident which occurred on April 18, during a test run of a newly imported train from Poland.

Preliminary investigations by the police said that Dzidotor left the Hyundai truck with registration number GS 9018 – 20 unattended on the railway line, leading to a collision with the train.

The accident reportedly happened when Abel Dzidotor went to deliver cement blocks, but the truck got stuck on the rail after he was unable to navigate a pass-through under the bridge.