Joshua “Nassaru” Ward, drummer for North Carolina-based metal band Voraath, was one of four killed in a drunk driving accident in South Carolina on New Year’s Eve. Ward, 37, and the other people in the vehicle, Audrey Maris Ross, 29, Jade Evelyn Burton, 27, and Amanda Lynn Leroux aka Zelena Ophelia Moon, 30 died after being struck by a drunk driver with a suspended license.
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According to WYFF, a local CNBC affiliate, the accident happened around 9 PM on New Year’s Eve in Greenville, South Carolina. Ward and his friends were backing out of a private drive in their 2017 Subaru SUV when they were struck by a BMW sedan driven by Nicholas Shane Meeks.
Neighbors heard the accident, saw a “massive explosion” and rushed to the scene to help. Unfortunately, they were too late. A coroner’s report stated that Burton and Leroux died of multiple blunt force injuries while Ross died of blunt force trauma to the chest. Ward’s cause of death was listed as smoke inhalation and thermal burns.
Meeks received four charges of DUI involving death. He was given no bond on those charges. Authorities gave him a $653 bond for the charge of driving without a license. This was not Meeks’ first run-in with the law. He was convicted of a DUI in March 2024 which likely led to his suspended license.
More on Those Tragically Lost on New Year’s Eve
Joshua Ward and Amanda Leroux were engaged to be married later this year. They would have created a blended family with four children. Now, Leroux’s two children are without their mother and Ward’s child lost their father.
Jade Burton’s daughter also lost her mother in the senseless tragedy.
Surviving family members have set up fundraisers for Ward, Leroux, and Burton for those who would like to contribute.
Joshua Ward’s Band, Voraath, Released Their Debut Album in 2024
Joshua “Nassaru” Ward, a veteran musician formerly belonged to Rapheumets Well and Xael, according to the Voraath Bandcamp profile. He started Voraath with Tylor Kohl and Paul McBride in 2021. Two years later, Chelsea Morrow joined the band as lead vocalist.
The band released its debut full-length album Vol. 1: Hymn of the Hunters on June 17, 2024.
Featured Image via Joshua Ward’s Facebook Profile
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