Frank Arthur, a driver, charged with careless driving and negligently causing harm has been fined GH�300.00 by the Akim Oda Magistrate Court in the Birim Central Municipality.
Arthur, who pleaded guilty to the charge, would go to prison for 12 months in default.
He was further ordered by the court to pay GH�400.00 as compensation to five passengers who were harmed, when he lost control of his Mercedes Benz bus at Apoli-Akotikrom Junction and plunged into a ditch.
Police Inspector Kwaku Appiah told the court presided over by Mr Albert Owusu Annor that the five victims are Madam Faustina Agyekum, Madam Ama
Asranoah, Mr William Oduro, Madam Yaa Botwe and Madam Theresa Ampomah, who were travelling to various destinations.
Inspector Appiah said the driver lived at Akenkansu and on November 29, 2008 around 0700 hours, Arthur drove a commercial Benz bus with registration number GE 428 V with 18 passengers on board, travelling from Assin Fosu to Akim Oda.
According to him, the driver who was supposed to travel via Akenkansu main road had to detour through Apoli due to a blockade.
He said while at Apoli-Akotikrom Junction where he had to negotiate a curve he lost control of the steering wheel and ran into a ditch.
Inspector Appiah explained that Arthur did not exercise due caution on the road resulting in the accident which saw the five victims sustaining
various degrees of injuries and who were rushed to the Akim Oda Government Hospital.