The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

FAMILIES of four teenage girls killed in Sunday’s Shirley Street crash gathered at Princess Margaret Hospital’s morgue yesterday, where anguished relatives identified loved ones who had been celebrating graduations, college plans and promising futures just hours before they died.

By 10am, nearly 20 people had gathered outside the morgue, waiting to identify the victims: Betrica Brown, 18, Diamond Stubbs, 17, and Stania Webb, 19. The Tribune was unable to identify the fourth victim up to press time.

Some relatives embraced in silence. Others offered words of comfort as families struggled to absorb the tragedy. The heartbreak erupted when one woman let out an anguished cry after viewing one of the bodies. Wailing uncontrollably, she had to be restrained and appeared to pass out before being carried away on someone’s shoulder.

For Damian Stubbs, the death of his daughter Diamond destroyed dreams that had only recently begun to take shape.

Mr Stubbs said he had recently sent Diamond to New Providence to prepare for college. Diamond had distinguished herself academically, serving as head girl and valedictorian of Old Bight High School — accomplishments that filled her family with pride.

“I was prepared to make sure that she go to college,” Mr Stubbs said. “She made my entire family proud. Everybody that was around her was proud — teachers, friends, strangers.”

For Densandria Wright, Betrica’s aunt, the first instinct was disbelief.

“What’s going through my mind is maybe it’s a lie, maybe it isn’t true, maybe she would have been one that survived,” Ms Wright said.

She said Betrica, a student of Agape Christian School in Abaco, had recently texted her asking for help finding summer employment before heading to college on a volleyball scholarship. Ms Wright had agreed to help.

“Waiting on that, I saw the pictures going around, but my friend from the States called and showed me, and I said, ‘No, can’t be it, can’t be true.’ I follow up on it and just found out that they had went out as a group of friends.”

Ms Wright said the young women had gathered with friends to celebrate their graduation and upcoming college journeys. Betrica had hoped to become a professional athlete.

“To my understanding, she was one who didn't want to go. She did but she said Diamond encouraged her, because she would have been the only one home, and she went. Then we got the call.”

Ms Wright described Betrica as athletic, funny and charming. She said the teenager was not known for going out, making the news that she had joined her friends that night especially surprising.

The crash has sparked widespread public reaction, including questions about road conditions in the area where the accident occurred.

Freetown MP Lincoln Deal, the area’s representative, said he could not comment on the cause of the crash while police investigations continue. However, he noted that he has previously raised concerns about infrastructure in the Freetown area, pointing to East Bay Street, Shirley Street and Mackey Street and saying the area is “very holey”.

“It speaks more to not just ensuring that the roads are paved, but also ensuring that when work is taking place there are specific measures, safety measures that give motorists an opportunity to see that road work is ahead,” he said.

He suggested improved signage, fluorescent barriers and barricades around construction zones to better alert drivers.

Beauty pageant queens Zaniyaa Bowe, Miss Teen International, and Kristaney Duroseau, Miss Teen Universe, also offered condolences to the families.

Ms Bowe described the three young women from Cat Island as “young, outstanding” girls who were set for success before they were killed in the crash. An Abaco resident, she singled out Betrica, who had moved from Cat Island to Abaco, as someone she will never forget.

"She would always support our pageant events in Abaco and would also say one day she will wear a crown," Ms Bowe said. "As Family Island young women, our hearts are broken.”