The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter

Jrussell@tribunemedia.net

FOUR young women from Cat Island were killed in a devastating Shirley Street crash on Sunday morning, shattering families, a school community and university dreams just weeks before some of the victims were expected to leave The Bahamas for college.

Most of the eight occupants in the vehicle had known each other since childhood. 

Among those killed were Diamond Stubbs, 17, Betrica Brown, 19, and Stania Webb, 19. The Tribune could not confirm the identity of the fourth victim up to press time. 

Residents of Cat Island described the tragedy as a nightmare, saying the close-knit community was struggling to absorb the loss of so many young lives. 

Family members flew to New Providence yesterday to identify the bodies of their loved ones.The crash happened in the early hours of Sunday, when a Mazda sedan carrying the group reportedly lost control and hit a tree near the intersection of Shirley Street and Church Street. It is believed they had earlier been at a pool party.

Police said three female passengers were pronounced dead at the scene, while the remaining five occupants were taken to hospital. A fourth woman later died from her injuries.

The survivors include a 19-year-old man, who sustained a broken wrist; a 21-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman, who were listed in stable condition; and a 25-year-old man, who remains in critical condition.

Stubbs had graduated as valedictorian and head girl of Old Bight High School just two weeks ago, celebrating what relatives and school officials said was a future full of promise.

Phillippa Anderson, Stubbs’ godmother, said the family is shattered. She said Stubbs had travelled from Cat Island to New Providence to prepare for college and was organising a cookout to help raise money for her studies.

Stubbs was staying with her grandfather during her visit. Her godmother described her as reserved, quiet and kind, saying the night before the crash was one of the few times she had gone out with friends.

“This was her first time going out because her friend wanted her to live a little,” she said, adding that Stubbs had so much to experience and live for.

Stubbs was involved in the school band and represented her school in the Bahamas National High School Pageants.Dr Bennique Brown-Pratt, principal of Old Bight High School, said Stubbs was expected to receive about five scholarships and planned to attend Langston University.

Dr Brown-Pratt recalled that Stubbs cried tears of joy throughout her graduation ceremony about two weeks ago.Webb, 19, graduated from Old Bight High School in 2024. She attended Langston University on a band scholarship and was known for her love of music, kind spirit and strong work ethic.

Webb and Stubbs had been friends since primary school.Dr Brown-Pratt said Webb was also remembered as a bright young woman with a promising future. She said the deaths were heartbreaking and that the school would do its best to honour their legacy.Brown, 19, had also been preparing to begin the next chapter of her life.

Anthony Thompson said he raised his sister from the age of nine after their mother died in 2015. He said Brown also lost her father when she was two years old, explaining that they did not share the same father.

Mr Thompson described the special bond they shared, calling Brown his “baby”. She lived in Abaco with him, his wife and their two children.When The Tribune spoke to Mr Thompson yesterday, he had just arrived in New Providence to view Brown’s body and was still struggling to accept her death.

"I just hoped that, hey, maybe the one survivor was her. I guess that's selfish,” he sighed.

Asked if he was angry at the driver, Mr Thompson said no, explaining there was already too much heartache.

He added: “Imagine you crashing a car and knowing that persons died on your watch. You done have to go through that the rest of your life.”

Mr Thompson said that during their last conversation, he was helping Brown apply to another college abroad. She had received multiple scholarship offers after excelling in volleyball and track and field.Brown graduated from Agape Christian School in Abaco. 

She loved sports, a passion she shared with her brother, who also coached her. She competed in volleyball, track and field and basketball, earning numerous MVP awards.

The Abaco Strong Volleyball team also paid tribute to Brown, describing her as vibrant, kind and a leader.Mr Thompson had been preparing for his sister to attend a top college and become a physical therapist.

A phone call at 4am yesterday shattered that hope. His sister-in-law told him Brown and his niece, Stubbs, had died in a car accident in New Providence.

He said denial was his first reaction, and he questioned whether his sister-in-law had been misinformed. He said the two young women grew up together and were more like sisters than cousins.Brown had travelled to Cat Island to visit family and Stubbs. 

On Tuesday, the pair caught the ferry to New Providence to obtain their student visas before leaving for college in July. Instead, they died before setting foot on their dream campuses.Some unconfirmed reports suggested the group was returning from a pool party when the crash occurred. 

Mr Thompson said he did not know where they had been, but understood they were on their way home.Mr Thompson said his family is still grieving the loss of Brown’s 18-year-old brother, who died three years ago.

“It's almost like this, you want to be strong, but ain’t nobody care about being strong right now,” he said.

The crash has triggered an outpouring of grief across the country, with parliamentarians, community leaders and members of the public paying tribute to the young women on social media.

Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis, the member of Parliament for Cat Island, said he was heartbroken by the tragedy and extended condolences to the families.

Transport Minister Leon Lundy also expressed condolences and urged motorists to practise road safety, encouraging people not to drink and drive or text while driving.

Meanwhile, some Bahamians argued that the condition of some roads continues to contribute to serious traffic accidents.St Anne’s MP Adrian White posted a video of the crash scene, saying the area had recently cut utility trenches in the northbound lane that created a hazard for motorists. He called on the Ministry of Works and Water & Sewerage to ensure such risks are not left on the nation’s roads.