Police have uncovered troubling details surrounding the fatal school bus accident at Assin Edubiase that claimed the lives of two pupils, with investigators alleging that the driver was handling a child while driving and operating an overloaded vehicle.
Central North Regional MTTD Commander, ASP Wonder Lumor, said preliminary investigations point to human error rather than mechanical failure as the cause of the tragedy.
According to him, the bus was carrying more children than it should have, creating unsafe conditions that contributed to the crash.
“It is unfortunate this thing has happened, but I think we have to crack the whip because throughout the whole country, one thing I’ve noticed is that school children are loaded in vehicles without recourse to the fact that they are also passengers who must have free sitting space,” he said.
ASP Lumor revealed that investigators found no major defects with the vehicle and believe the driver lost control because he was crowded by children inside the bus.
“The vehicle was a good vehicle on the road. It was a human error that led to this accident. If he had not crowded himself with the children, he would have gotten control over the steering and this accident would not have happened,” he stated.
He further alleged that the driver was simultaneously driving and handling a child who was sleeping.
“And even when the child was sleeping, the best thing for him to do is to park the vehicle and place the child well before he drives on. But he was driving at the same time, handling the child. So, he failed to maintain complete control of the steering of the vehicle,” ASP Lumor added.
The MTTD Commander disclosed that the driver will face charges and indicated that police are also moving to arrest the proprietors of the school as part of ongoing investigations.
“What we are saying now is a preliminary investigation, but from what we are hearing so far, the driver was alone. So, we are making an effort to get the proprietors also arrested for him to face the full rigors of the law,” he said.
He stressed that school authorities have a duty to ensure the safety of children entrusted to their care and criticised the practice of overcrowding school buses for profit.
The accident occurred on June 2, 2026, on the Assin Homaho road in the Central Region when a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter bus belonging to Alice Elites Academy crashed, killing a boy and a girl.
A total of 40 children were rushed to hospital following the incident. Twenty-two were treated at St Francis Xavier Hospital, while 18 others received treatment at the Assin Edubiase Health Centre. All injured pupils have since been discharged.
