On Saturday, June 28, 2025, the UGC region of Bremang in Kumasi was stricken with grief and disbelief as a runaway truck ended the life of a young lady who had a future, dreams and hopes.
Cindy (Afia Darkowaa) was only 20 years when she suffered her fatal death. Cindy was an apprentice in beauty at a local salon; she was a very hardworking, respectful, and promising girl according to her friends and neighbors.
She died in a freak accident of her life in an unattended truck that crashed into a container shop, which she had just entered.
An Ugly, Surprising Sight
The witnesses claimed that the truck which was on a gradient had been emitting engine sounds when suddenly the driver is said to have stepped out 15 meters to use a washroom when the truck started rolling out of control. In a sad loss of judgement, he had left the engine running and had not engaged the handbrake.
The heavy duty vehicle was not able to oppose the force of gravity hence gaining speed as it rolled down the hill. Having no one behind the steering wheel, it roared down the street and then crashed noisily in a container store and at a restaurant nearby.
Her salon supervisor had left Cindy in charge of running the salon and at that moment Cindy was in the container shop, she had just arrived to give her supervisor a break. It is out of the ordinary duty that she responded to a short call to help. It was that little, human courtesy that would be her last.
She died immediately she was hit.
A parked truck reportedly went on the loose and crashed into a shop and a nearby restaurant, killing a young woman instantly at Kumasi-Breman yesterday.
— EDHUB🌍ℹ (@eddie_wrt) June 29, 2025
According to eyewitnesses, the victim, an apprentice at a beauty salon, was off duty but had been called in by her supervisor… pic.twitter.com/3praSWnwp9
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A Shock Community
One viral video captured after the accident occurred depicted locals standing in stunned silence at the location.
The beauty shop that used to be busy was turned into a mangled piece of metal and wood. Wig parts, hair creams and mirrors were found on the floor like lost dreams.
So young she was. Only 20, one of the residents replied in the video with a trembling voice. She was very pleasant, very pleasant. Why her?”
Another witness, overcome with emotion, said: She was not supposed to be there on that day. She was there to assist. And now she is gone.”
Lookers were frozen in numbers, others in tears. The horror of the accident was not the only reason that they were affected by it, it was because they felt that a loving, innocent girl had died because of the irresponsibility of someone.
Who was Cindy?
Afia “Cindy” Darkowaa was not just another name in a sad or tragic headline. She was a daughter to be cherished, a friend to trust, and an upcoming person in her own community.
Cindy apprenticed at a salon in Bremang and her dream was to one day open her beauty shop. This was the money she had been saving bit by bit out of her stipend and frequently had worked overtime, sometimes on Sundays also, to make a better future.
Her close friend Sarah told reporters that she always wanted to be her own boss. She was a lover of beauty. It is what she loved. When she styled hair, she had magic in her hands.”
She was respectful amongst her peers because of her kind heartedness, her helpful hand and her hard work. She even used to volunteer to help out her supervisor most of the time and she would even be left behind after work hours just to straighten up or assist customers to feel at home.
The Police had a driver in custody.
The runaway truck driver is also in police custody as investigation goes on. The police officer verified that when he was coming back to Bremang, he had parked the truck on a slope on the roadside in Bosuom, which is a town near Pankrono.
Initial police reports indicate that this was caused by his failure to pull the handbrake and leaving the engine running as the direct causes of the accident. Citizens are demanding that he should face strict prosecution on the basis of the fact that the tragedy was preventable.
One resident raged, as he said, people can not be allowed to walk free after such negligence. A woman lost her daughter. Several years were ruined within a few seconds.”
Social Media Response and National Coverage
The news of the death of Cindy has gone viral on social media and the hash tag, #JusticeForCindy, is starting to trend on Ghanaian social media platforms.
A lot of the users stated that they were devastated by the outcome of the young woman and some said that more safety precautions needed to be taken concerning vehicles, specifically in places where there were people and business.
One of the tweets was written as follows, saying, “This could have been the daughter of any of us.” Innocent people must have the protection of our laws. It is tragic.”
Influencers and celebrities have also honored Cindy and some have urged government authorities to establish more stringent commercial drivers regulations.
A Call to Accountability and Change
This accident has opened the eyes to the fact that there is a dire need to create more awareness regarding road safety and the responsibilities of the road user, particularly around such cities as Bremang.
Citizens are demanding that there should be more road signs, and education campaigns should be carried out and regular checks of the trucks and commercial vehicles.
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A representative of the Road Safety Commission said, there must be accountability. Too many innocent people die, because of mistakes that should have been avoided. The story should not be over here with Cindy. It should result in change.”
Her people lament her at the moment. Her parents mourn. And a nation repents when an irresponsible choice is expensive.
Cindy may be dead, but her tale is a lesson: the most minor gestures of generosity are those that traveled through the most dangerous paths–and can end up the most costly.