The Nigerian community in New York is presently in a mourning mood following the auto crash that claimed the lives of five Nigerians who were on their way from a two-day convention of the Arondizuogu Patriotic Union National Congress of North America.
Family and friends who were at Jamaica Medical Centre in New York on Monday night said that the death of the five Nigerians, which included two infants, was a big loss to them.
It was reported that a Mercedes Benz Sports utility vehicle (SUV) travelling at high speed hit a concrete support, rolled over and burst into flames, killing five of the seven passengers, including two children, on Sunday in New York City around 3:15am
The New York police said that the car was speeding but witnesses told investigators that the vehicle ran through two red lights shortly before the accident, which occurred on Atlantic Avenue just east of the Van Wyck.
It was also reported that the vehicle struck a concrete support for the AirTrain to Kennedy International Airport, and flipped a number of times before coming to rest on the passenger side about 80 feet away, authorities said. Then it burst in flames.
One of the sympathisers who was at Jamaica Hospital, Evelyn Anyaogu, said she was a cousin of one of the casualties, Nnenna Obioha, 50, who was based in Michigan.
Ms. Anyaogu said: “My cousin had the best heart in the whole world. I can still remember how we danced our native dance during the event.”
At the time of filing this report, none of the Nigerian Missions in New York and Washington DC had issued a statement on the incident.
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