The tragic accident at East Legon, which claimed the lives of two young girls and deeply shook the community, was allegedly caused by 16-year-old Elrad Salifu Amoako. Elrad now faces manslaughter charges after reportedly attempting to showcase the speed of his mother’s Jaguar F-Pace Sport.
According to the prosecution, Elrad led a convoy of three SUVs with friends as they sped through East Legon. The convoy, including two other SUVs driven by his friends, was reportedly racing through the area when the accident took place. Elrad, in his mother’s Jaguar, allegedly attempted to showcase the car’s speed, leading to a violent collision with an Acura.
Elrad had attended a birthday celebration for his sibling at an event center in East Legon. During the party, he reportedly asked his mother’s personal assistant, Linda Bonsu Bempah, for the keys to the Jaguar, which she gave to him. Elrad then drove the car, accompanied by a friend, to A&C Mall, where he met with other friends who arrived in two additional SUVs, forming a convoy.
Elrad allegedly led the convoy through Dzane-Ashie Road at high speeds, ignoring other vehicles as he attempted to showcase the car’s speed. As they approached a T-junction on Mensah Wood Avenue, he reportedly lost control and crashed into the back of an Acura, which then ignited along with his own vehicle. Though Elrad and his friend managed to escape the blaze, the two young girls trapped inside the Acura could not. Despite bystanders’ efforts to put out the flames, the intense fire tragically took their lives.
On November 1, 2024, Elrad appeared before the Family and Juvenile Court in Accra, where he pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter, negligently causing harm, dangerous driving, and driving without a license. The court has since remanded him to a correctional facility and required that he surrender both his American and Ghanaian passports. Elrad’s next court appearance is scheduled for November 7, 2024.
As legal proceedings unfold, the community mourns the loss of two young lives and seeks justice in the wake of this devastating tragedy.