Driver arrested in crash that killed bishop

The driver of the SUV that crashed into and killed Sierra Leone Area Bishop John K. Yambasu has been arrested and charged with seven counts, including speeding.

Mohamed Allie Saw, who police said fled the scene of the Aug. 16 accident and had been on the run, was charged in court Sept. 4, said Musa Conteh, police investigating officer. The charges include driving without due care and attention, speeding and being careless and inconsiderate.

The Toyota Land Cruiser that he was driving was uninsured. Saw, a mechanic, was taking the car owned by Festus Amara to be serviced in a garage across town, said Conteh.

According to police reports, Saw lost control of the vehicle and it jumped the median and slammed head-on into Yambasu’s car, killing the 63-year-old bishop and injuring his driver. Yambasu was on his way to Yonibana to preach at the funeral of a retired district superintendent.

Videos about Yambasu 

Watch Sierra Leone Area Bishop John K. Yambasu’s funeral.

Watch memorial video about Yambasu.

Watch prayer vigil.

“By the time we cleared the traffic and safely packed the vehicles from off the road, the driver had disappeared,” said Mbalu Kabbah, traffic commander for the Calaba Town Police.

“We first detained the owner of the vehicle when the driver could not be located. We released him after his blood pressure shot up,” she said, adding that he was let go on the condition that he hand over the driver in two days.

Family members of Amara went in search of Saw and turned him over to the police, Kabbah said.

Kabbah, who knew Yambasu since her school days, said the owner of the vehicle and his family wanted to meet the bishop’s family and offer their sympathies, but they were afraid of how they might be received.

Hassan Bangura, an eyewitness at the scene of the accident, said Bishop Yambasu was taken by taxi to Wellington Satellite Hospital.

“The door to his backseat was shut and could not open through the normal knob. We had to use implements to chop off the door and get him out,” Bangura said.

Saw was uninjured, according to police, although the vehicle he was driving was damaged beyond repair. The bishop’s driver, Abdul T. Kamara, has been discharged from the hospital and is recovering at home.

Bangura and others on the scene secured the bishop’s belongings and turned them over to two United Methodist pastors who came to the crash site later in the day.

“In the bag, we later found his Bible, a laptop, a prepared message that he was to preach and three (pairs of eye glasses),” Bangura said.

One of the bishop’s sons returned to the scene recently to thank them, he said.

Yambasu was laid to rest on the campus of United Methodist University in Freetown on Sept. 6. During a Service of Remembrance and Rites of Passage, the bishop was remembered as a bridge builder and for “being the voice of Jesus when it needed to be heard.”

Jusu is a communicator for the Sierra Leone Conference.

News media contact: Vicki Brown at (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umnews.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free Daily or Weekly Digests.


Like what you're reading? Support the ministry of UM News! Your support ensures the latest denominational news, dynamic stories and informative articles will continue to connect our global community. Make a tax-deductible donation at ResourceUMC.org/GiveUMCom.

Sign up for our newsletter!

Subscribe Now
Bishops
United Methodist bishops from the Philippines, Africa and the U.S. pray during morning worship Nov. 6. The Council of Bishops joined together in worship each day of its Nov. 3-8 meeting at Epworth by the Sea Conference Center on St. Simons Island, Ga. The bishops also took on a number of challenges facing The United Methodist Church. Photo by Rick Wolcott, Council of Bishops.

Bishops zero in on challenges ahead

As The United Methodist Church starts a new season, bishops discussed financial concerns and ministry needs ahead — including faith formation and care for immigrants.
Theology and Education
Student Tanaka Chamburuka is surrounded by proud teachers and family after winning the top academic prize for his grade level at Seke 1 High School in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe. From left are teacher Brenda Chawanji; Sarudzai Chamburuka, Tanaka’s mother; Tanaka; and teacher Rita Gondo. The United Methodist Church in the Chitungwiza Marondera District provided prizes for top students in memory of church member Esnath Ginnah Kadenge, a longtime English teacher at the school. Photo by Kudzai Chingwe, UM News.

Teacher’s legacy creates church, school partnership

United Methodists help Zimbabwe school revive awards ceremony with gifts donated in memory of former teacher and church member.
Global Health
Pierre Kenga (not pictured) traveled more than 80 kilometers from the village of Dikwadjondo in Sankuru province to the United Methodist-affiliated Tunda General Hospital in Tunda, Congo, with his wife (seated) and his sister (lying down). The hospital is attracting more patients from distant regions. Photo by Chadrack Tambwe Londe, UM News.

Hospital provides beacon of hope in Eastern Congo

Thanks to new buildings and equipment, Tunda General Hospital attracts patients from far and wide, bringing care to a remote region.

United Methodist Communications is an agency of The United Methodist Church

©2024 United Methodist Communications. All Rights Reserved