A tragic incident occurred in Takoradi on Sunday, January 4, 2026, when a 39-year-old driver’s assistant, Kofi Darko, lost his life while attempting to fix a mechanical fault on a commercial Yutong bus.
According to reports, Darko was working on the rear wheels of the bus when the vehicle suddenly moved, crushing him to death.
The driver, William Opoku Asare, recounted that he was unaware his assistant had gone under the bus to work on the problem. He explained that a mechanic had been hired a day earlier to repair the same fault, which both the mechanic and the deceased had worked on together.
Mr. Opoku noted that his late assistant had always shown interest in mechanical work and often helped mechanics during repairs. He suspects that Darko’s familiarity with the problem might have led him to attempt fixing it alone.
After returning from a trip to Accra, the bus developed a fault, which was later fixed at the Takoradi main station.
However, by the next morning, the vehicle appeared unbalanced again. Mr. Opoku said he contacted the mechanic, who advised him to start the engine and inspect for leaks. While waiting for the mechanic’s arrival, the assistant secretly went to get tools to work on the issue and was fatally trapped by the vehicle.
Emergency officers from the Ghana National Fire Service were called to the scene, but the assistant was already dead upon their arrival. His body has since been deposited at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital morgue.
The driver revealed that the deceased’s family has been informed and expressed concern over delays by the police in releasing the body for burial.
The family, based in Kumasi, is reportedly sending a delegation to Takoradi to assist with the ongoing investigations and make arrangements for the burial.
onuaonline.com
