In a tragic New Year's Eve incident, Joshua Nassaru Ward, drummer of North Carolina death metal band Voraath, was killed alongside three others in a drunk driving collision. The victims included Ward's fiancee Zelena, and friends Audrey Maris Ross (29) and Amanda Lynn Leroux (30).

The crash occurred just after 9 PM in Greenville, South Carolina, when a 2012 BMW driven by Nicholas Shane Meeks (31) struck Ward's Subaru SUV as it was exiting a driveway. The impact forced the Subaru off the road and into a tree, resulting in the death of all four occupants.

Meeks, who was arrested and charged with four counts of felony DUI involving death, was driving with a suspended license at the time of the incident. Court records show he had previously been booked on DUI charges in March 2024 and had pled guilty in May, receiving a personal recognizance bond of $993. He was denied bond for the current charges on Wednesday.

Ward's band Voraath had recently celebrated significant milestones, including the release of their debut full-length album "Vol. 1: The Hymn of the Hunters" in June 2024. The band had been posting about their recent recognition on social media earlier that evening. Ward's final social media post featured a photo with his young son Kai, sharing New Year wishes.

A GoFundMe campaign has been established for Ward, raising over $20,000 to date.

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