The Accident PM: A Lesson in Real-Life Risk Response
Rukie Kwaku Agyeman, PMP® is a certified project manager, training instructor, and operations leader with a decade of experience delivering complex projects across construction, technology, and creative industries in West Africa and international markets.
What would you do if a routine Saturday night ended in an accident on a dimly lit street, with concerned bystanders watching, an injured motorbike rider, and no ride-hailing service in sight?
An Unplanned Incident with Real Consequences
On 3rd January 2026 at approximately 10:30 p.m., I was driving to retrieve an item I had forgotten earlier in the day. That is when I met my untimely accident. I had one passenger in the front seat, properly restrained. I had never previously been involved in a road accident, which made the experience unfamiliar and instructive.
While navigating a sharp curve in a poorly lit section of the road (a common reality in Accra, Ghanna), the vehicle experienced a sudden mechanical malfunction. The car mounted a curb, crossed into the opposite lane, and struck another curb, resulting in damage to the suspension components and bringing the vehicle to a halt. Unbeknownst to me at the time, an okada (motorbike) rider narrowly avoided a direct collision while swerving away from the vehicle.
Within moments, bystanders gathered with torchlights and phones, attempting to understand what had occurred. At that point, the incident evolved from a technical failure into a multi-stakeholder situation involving safety, legal, financial and reputational risk considerations.
Immediate Risk Response: Stabilize Before You Optimize
The first …
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