At least 17 police officers with the Eastern Regional Police Command have been hospitalised after they were involved in a near fatal accident on the Akuapem-Apirede to Somanya highway on Saturday morning.

They were traveling to Somanya from Koforidua on a commercial sprinter Benz Bus for official duties.

Three of the officers, according to the Eastern Regional Police PRO, DSP Ebenezer Tetteh, are in critical condition at the Eastern Regional Hospital.

The rest of the officers are at Atua Government Hospital receiving treatment.

"The persons onboard the vehicle sustained various degrees of injuries and were rushed to Atua Government Hospital in Somanya for treatment. Three of them meanwhile have been referred to the Eastern Regional Hospital for further treatment because of the extend of their injuries. They are responding to treatment at Atua government hospital,” he added.

Mr. Tetteh explaining the cause of the accident to JoyNews said the driver plunged the vehicle into a nearby bush after it failed its breaks while descending a hill.

"On 27th November at about 06:30hours Police Woman Gladys Paddy in charge of 17 men from the Eastern Regional Police Command onboard Mercedes Benz sprinter bus with registration number 6780-20 driven by Kofi Asare from Koforidua to Somanya on official duty on reaching a section of the road between Apirede and Somanya, the suspect driver allegedly failed break whilst descending the Apirede hills resulting in an accident."