A clash between drivers at the Ashaiman main lorry park and the police early Tuesday morning has left two persons dead and several others injured. The dead, who were said to have been hit by gun shots fired by the Police, were only identified as a 20-year-old iced water seller and another middle-aged man. Some of the injured are receiving treatment at the Tema General Hospital. Reports monitored on Adom Dwaso Nsem indicate that the drivers had mounted road blocks at the entrance of the lorry park in protest against alleged continuous arrests of their colleagues by the police who accuse the drivers of wrongful parking. The drivers on their part allege that about fifteen of their colleagues were arrested on Monday by the police for discharging and picking passengers in front of the lorry park. According to the reports the drivers this morning mobilized themselves and blocked the main entrance to the lorry park, preventing passengers from boarding vehicles to various destinations. The drivers also were said to have invaded the police station ostensibly to release their colleagues and attempted demobilizing the police personnel and not even reinforcement from Tema could contain the situation. The Ashaiman MTU, commander, ASP Daffah, in an interview on Dwaso Nsem, confirmed the incident, but could not confirm the dead. He however explained that fifteen drivers were picked up by his men on Monday for wrongful parking and were being processed for court today when their colleagues mobilized to attack the police. ASP Daffah said initial attempts by the police to get the Executives of the Ashaiman Branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) to talk to their members to call off the demonstration failed as the Executives went into hiding. The Tema Regional Police Commander, DCOP John Kudalor, also told Joy News' Matilda Asante that two people died from the confusion as police tried to defend themselves. He said he personally saw the dead, as well as destruction to police property and also four injured policemen. The Commander said the deaths were unnecessary and could have been avoided, blaming the rioting drivers for side-stepping structural procedures in seeking redress. DCOP Kudalor said the drivers could have reported their alleged harassment by the Ashaiman Police to his Command, but given the scale of the lop-sided attack on the police, self-defence was inevitable. Credit: Kojo Addo (Adom FM)