Nigerians involved in US auto crash

As Americans
come to terms
with the
dastardly theatre
killings in
Colorado, the
Nigerian
community in
New York was
thrown into
mourning,
weekend, when
a Mercedes Benz
sports utility
vehicle with
some Nigerians
hit a concrete
support and
rolled over.
The SUV burst
into flames killing
five of the seven
passengers
including two
children.
The accident
happened on
Sunday in New
York City where
the cccupants of
the car had come
from a 2-day
convention of the
Arondizuogu
Patriotic Union
National
Congress of
North America.
Later that day,
members of the
group were in
mourning as they
entered and left
the Jamaica
Hospital Medical
Centre where
three of the
survivors of the
accident had
been brought.
A grieving Inno
Chima, a
participant in the
Saturday night
gala, was quoted
to ask: “Did God
go to sleep on
us?” The
accident occurred
around 3:15 a.m.,
and the police
believe the S.U.V.
was speeding,
the authorities
said.
Witnesses told
investigators
that the vehicle
ran two red
lights shortly
before the
accident, which
occurred on
Atlantic Avenue
just east of the
Van Wyck.
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 ignited in
flames.
During an
interview outside
the hospital, Mr.
Chima said there
was “casual
drinking” at the
Golden Terrace
banquet hall, on
Atlantic Avenue
less than a mile
from the
accident site. But
investigators do
not believe that
alcohol played a
role in the
accident, and
emergency
personnel did not
detect the odor
of alcohol at the
crash scene, a
law enforcement
official said.
On the sidewalk
outside Jamaica
Hospital, Evelyn
Anyaogu, from
the Bronx, said
she was a cousin
of one of the
people who died
in the accident.
Ms. Anyaogu
identified her
cousin as a
Michigan woman,
Nnenna Obioha,
who was in her
50s or older. “She
has the best
heart in the
whole world,” Ms.
Anyaogu said. Ms.
Anyaogu recalled
how festive the
night had been at
the convention.
“We danced our
native dance,”
she said, adding
that it was a
“very, very good
time.”
But those
memories quickly
evaporated when
Ms. Anyaogu
received a call
from the
authorities to
“tell me what
happened.” “How
do you cope?”
she added. One
mourner
emerged from
the hospital
crying and chased
several news
photographers,
threatening to
hurt them.