Abel Dzidotor, a 41-year-old truck driver who abandoned his vehicle on the Tema-Mpakadan rail lines, has been sentenced to six months in jail by Juapong Circuit Court after admitting guilt to three out of four charges.

The court, presided over by His Honour Prosper Deu-Love Gormashie, took into consideration fact that the convict was married with three children, and his guilty plea at the first instance

The brief fact of the case by prosecutor Detective Chief Inspector Abel Anane
Said the complainants in this case Engineer Dr. Divine Olitey and Kwabena Bonsu both consultants of Ghana Railways Authority resident in Tema. Accused person, Dzidotor Abel age 41, was the driver in charge Hyundai truck with registration number GS 9018-20.

On Thursday April 18 2024, between the hours of 0900 and 1300, the complainant together with their counterpart expatriates from Poland embarked on a site acceptance test of the new Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) 001 from Tema to Mpakadan.

In the course of testing the train, and on reaching Abortia, a suburb of Juapong, the train crashed the aforementioned unmanned truck at the time which got stuck across the railway Iine at an unapproved area. The accused driver abandoned the truck without due care to other road users.

The truck got damaged beyond repairs while the train had some degree of damage.

The prosecutor said, the accused driver went into hiding at Tagadzi where he was arrested and arraigned before this court.

The driver was arraigned on charge of careless and inconsiderate driving which he was sentenced with 100 penalty unitsI in default serves 20 months in jail.

On Count 2, the driver was charged with unauthorized stopping which he was sentenced 20 penalty units in default serves 5 months imprisonment.

On Count 3 charge of causing unlawful damage: six months imprisonment with hard labour

The Court has adjourned hearing on Count 4 which is charge failing to produce drivers license to May 9th, 2024.

The sentencing to be run concurrently.

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