The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

JUST moments before a car crash claimed her life, 23-year-old Shyann Pierre was on her way to pick up her children from a loved one who had been babysitting them.

Following the fatal crash, speculation swirled about whether it was a suicide. However, someone close to the family insisted on Friday that Pierre had every intention of returning home to her two young children.

The source, who spoke to The Tribune anonymously, described Pierre as a hardworking and devoted mother to her one-year-old and two-month-old children. Pierre’s death shocked the country, as the accident was captured on camera and widely shared.

A harrowing video showed her car speeding through an intersection before plunging into the water at Yamacraw Beach around 2am on March 1. Speed appeared to be a factor, and Pierre died at the scene after her black Honda Fit was submerged.

Pierre lived in New Providence with her children and their father, while most of her family resided in Eleuthera or the United States. She had dropped her children off at a loved one’s home the day before the crash, telling them she would return later that night to pick them up.

Reports indicate she was still in contact with loved ones shortly before the accident, speaking with them about an hour before the crash to say she was on her way. That night, she had been out with friends, and according to the source, it was common for her to pick up her children around midnight after working a late shift at a bar or attending other engagements.

The source said Pierre often lingered at the bar after her shifts for drinks. While they were unsure what led to the crash, they wondered if drink may have been a factor in the crash. There has been no confirmation officially whether that was the case.