The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

A FAMILY that spent hours searching for missing 19-year-old Evalena Johnson learned yesterday that she was the fourth young woman killed in Sunday’s devastating Shirley Street crash.

Police confirmed that Evalena, who had been reported missing after relatives said they had not seen or heard from her since Saturday, was among the victims of the horrific accident that killed Diamond Stubbs, 17, Betrica Brown, 19, and Stania Webb, 19.

Evalena’s family identified her body at Princess Margaret Hospital’s morgue around 11am yesterday, ending a desperate search with the worst possible news.

Police said Evalena was reported missing on June 29 by a 22-year-old family member, who said relatives had not seen or heard from her since Saturday, June 27. The family member said Evalena was last seen in the Adelaide Village area.

Police later issued a missing person flyer asking the public to help locate her.

The Tribune understands that the woman had lived in The Bahamas before attending college and had returned to the country on a school break. Her mother lives in Canada.

Evalena was a student of Langston College. The Tribune understands that she had been attending a party with Stania Webb, another Langston student, and Diamond Stubbs, who was set to start school in August.

It is understood that the young women were attending a Langston meet-and-greet party and were heading from there to V12 nightclub on Bay Street.

What began as a night out among friends ended in one of the country’s most devastating road tragedies in years.

In the early hours of Sunday, Diamond, Betrica, Stania and Evalena were occupants of a Mazda sedan along with four others.

Shortly after 1am, the eight occupants were crammed inside the Mazda sedan as it travelled west on Shirley Street. The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle before it slammed sideways into a tree near Church Street.

Three female passengers were pronounced dead at the scene. The remaining five occupants were taken to the hospital with injuries. Another female victim later died in the hospital.

The crash has torn through several families and communities, turning graduation celebrations, college plans and dreams of the future into mourning.