Edmonton’s Liberian community supports families of mothers who died in crash

Edmonton’s Liberian community is seeking ways to help the families of three mothers killed in a highway collision, but a local leader says it’s been a challenge because the women themselves would have been the ones to take care of such efforts.

“We call everyone to bring up ideas, suggestions as how we can help support and go through this together. Not just leaving the families on their own, but we feel it’s for everyone for the community,” Liberian Friendship Society president Thomas Bumbeh said Monday.

Eva Tumbay, Jeannette Wright, and Glorious David died Friday on Highway 16 just east of the Saskatchewan boundary when police say the minivan they were in collided with a stolen truck.

A fourth woman who is Wright’s niece, Janet Wright Gaye, remains in hospital with serious injuries.

Bumbeh said Wright was one of the first Liberians to arrive in Edmonton and many others followed thanks to her. If you were hunting for a job, she would help. If you needed to go to school, she would assist there, too. She even would direct new Liberians on where to get driving lessons.

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David was the wife of Rev. Glory Blamo, founder of Solid Rock International Ministries of Edmonton, where some of the crash victims attended church.

Bumbeh called her the “mother” of the church, responsible for supporting members of the community. Without asking, he said, people would find her on their doorsteps wondering how she could help.

Blamo is facing a tough situation but is a “strong man of God,” Bumbeh said.

“He’s still going around counselling the other bereaved families.” Bumbeh said. “He’s visited them to counsel them.”

The friendship society held a special meeting Sunday evening, where Bumbeh said they decided to ask every member of the city’s Liberian community to contribute $200 towards helping the victims’ families cover funeral expenses.

Bumbeh said fundraising activities will also support the children through a trust fund. He said the community will look to other charitable organizations for ideas on how they can get support.

Already, he said, community members are dropping off food and other items at the families’ homes.

RCMP said they were chasing the truck that crashed into the women’s minivan, but called off the chase approximately 35 minutes before the collision and no police vehicles were in the vicinity at the time.

Police said Friday that a 26-year-old man was in custody and charges were pending.

Bumbeh said the women were on their way to visit a family in Minnesota and that they would have returned on Sunday.

Gaye is still in intensive care, Bumbeh said.

“This is a tragedy for the entire community and it’s a big loss.”

The Canadian Press