Cape Coast: UCC Second Gate Gory Accident — One Dead, Five Hospitalized by someone who’s been shaken by roads before
A few years ago, I stood frozen in the middle of a T-junction in Accra, watching a trotro speed past inches from my leg. No, I wasn’t being reckless—I’d just misjudged. The driver clearly hadn’t. And in that second, I realized how fragile everything really is. How one wrong move—just one—can change or even end a life.
So when I heard about the tragic accident near the University of Cape Coast’s second gate, my heart sank. One person gone. Just like that. Five others rushed to the hospital. And for what? A moment of speed? Distraction? Bad luck? I don’t know. But whatever the reason, it hurts. It always hurts.
UCC’s second gate is one of those places that almost every student, taxi driver, and coconut seller knows. It's usually buzzing. You can’t miss the mix of laughter, arguments over fares, the smell of fried yam wafting through the air—it feels alive. But in seconds, that familiar place became a scene of chaos and blood. Screams. Sirens. Phones ringing with frantic voices. Honestly, I don’t even want to imagine it.
From what I gathered, the crash involved a private car and a tricycle. The photos making rounds on social media? Gruesome. Tires twisted like rubber bands. Windshields smashed in like paper. And that one lifeless body, covered with a cloth on the pavement… it’s the kind of image that stays with you.
It’s so easy to scroll past it online and just think, “Ah, another accident.” But for someone, that person who died was a brother. A friend. Maybe someone’s roommate who had plans to write a paper or call their mum that evening. And the others now in the hospital? They didn’t expect their day to end in pain, IV drips, and CT scans.
I don’t want to turn this into one of those “Ghana needs better roads and enforcement” rants (even though, yeah, we really do). But deeper than that, it’s about how we treat movement as something we’re entitled to. Like we deserve to reach every destination just because we planned to. But life doesn’t always play fair.
In my experience, most accidents don’t come out of nowhere. There’s always a second before—the one where the brakes weren’t hit, or the glance at the phone seemed harmless. I’m not judging. I’ve texted while walking too. But it’s scary how close we constantly are to something irreversible.
And now, a family somewhere is planning a funeral. Maybe even trying to raise funds. Meanwhile, five others are fighting through pain, probably wondering what happened. Or why. Or what happens next.
I might be wrong, but I think moments like these force us to pause. To check in. With ourselves. With our habits. With our friends. Life is way too short to take lightly. Way too fragile to gamble with.
So tonight, before you hop on that okada, drive out in a rush, or cross a road half-distracted—pause. Please. I’m begging you.
Because the question that’s been stuck in my mind since I read about the UCC accident is this: What if it were you? Or me? And how would the story be told?
blogpay
Total Comments: 0