Condolences poured in yesterday for Bermudian Juriena Smith Vincent-Lee who was killed in a car crash in North Carolina on Saturday.
The former Bermuda police officer lost her life in the head-on collision; the driver of the other car died as well.
The 35-year-old’s mother, Lucetta Beckles, and her daughter’s adopted mother, Judy Lee, are to leave Bermuda for North Carolina today.
The victim’s two sisters, Keivanna Lee, 37, and Tiffany DeSilva, 30, are both resident in the UK but will join them to assist with funeral arrangements.
Ms Beckles was still in shock and very distraught when she spoke with The Royal Gazette yesterday.
She said her daughter was injured beyond recognition, identified only through dental records.
Ms Vincent-Lee moved to the US 15 years ago. She married Tashonda Vincent last year in Washington DC. She was employed with the North Carolina campus police in Hillsborough.
Said Ms Beckles: “My phone hasn’t stopped ringing since, but we are grateful for all of the condolences sent.”
Ms DeSilva said she and her sister were devastated on hearing of their sibling’s death.
“We still don’t have all the information, we’re heading out on Thursday for North Carolina to meet up with family there.
“My sister and I are coping with this, we all are, but it’s hard. It’s really, really hard,” she said.
“Things like this make me cherish my loved ones even more and I’m so grateful I spoke with Juriena on Wednesday. I will cherish that last conversation with her for the rest of my life and I feel so blessed that I got to tell her that I love her one last time.”
She continued: “I know she was very happy before her life was ended too soon. I just want to celebrate her life and I don’t want her to ever be forgotten. You could never ask for a better sister.
“She was always there, always supportive, always giving advice. It all feels like a bad dream that’s just wrong and it feels like it shouldn’t have happened.
“I can’t help but think of so many memories; I can’t really say what my fondest memory is of her I have so many. But what sticks out in my mind most today is when I was pregnant with my second child and how Juriena catered to me endlessly.
“I would tell her I could do it and she just refused to let me do anything. I don’t know why I even thought about that today.”
Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Michael DeSilva extended condolences to the family on behalf of the Bermuda Police Service.
“Juriena is a former Bermuda police officer who joined the service as a cadet in August 1995. She went on the following year to attend Recruit Foundation Course #52, where I was one of her trainers.
“I remember Juriena well, and I commented on her training reports that she was ‘an energetic young officer with huge potential’.
”During her short career with us she earned a Letter of Good Work from Commissioner Jean-Jacques Lemay for her excellent work on the task force. Juriena left the service in January 1999 to pursue further education, and she returned to us as a summer student until 2004.”
He continued: “Juriena will be remembered as a keen and determined officer who was always warm and pleasant. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family for their untimely and tragic loss.”
A memorial service is likely to be held in Bermuda in due course, a family member said.
