M4 minibus crash: 'Othneil will be in my heart forever', says mum

BBC News

4 days ago

"Othneil will be in my heart forever, I won't forget him, he will always be my Othneil," says Mintaa Okyere, with tears in her eyes.She is sat with her husband, Peter Oppong, in their small lounge in Bracknell, surrounded by flowers and sympathy cards, as well as, framed photos of Othneil and their other three sons.A display cabinet behind them contains his football trophies and a memory box, including a handprint that was made in hospital after he passed away on 5 June, four weeks before his 12th birthday."This is the hardest time in our life, I don't know what to do," Mintaa says."As a mother I cried all night, it's hard for me."
Othniel was one of two children to die after the minibus they were travelling in overturned on an M4 slip road on 11 May.Peter tells me his son was a caring boy who would help do chores around the house and wait up for him to return home after work."He has influence on everybody's life because if he sit with you he talks as if he's an old person."So if you say 'big head' he'd say 'big head, with big brains'," says Peter smiling fondly.Othneil was a member of Crowthorne FC and had dreams of becoming a professional footballer.His coach, Mitch Noble, described him as having "dazzling" footwork, and said he would be remembered for bringing joy and laughter to those around him.
Othneil had been attending a youth event at The Church of Pentecost, in Oxford, with his two older brothers and a group of young people on 11 May.They were just minutes away from home when the white Ford Transit minibus they were in overturned on a link road off the M4 near Reading at about 14:25 BST. In the chaos and confusion, Othneil's brothers could not find him, and one of them called their mother from the crash scene in a panic."He said 'Mum, Othneil's not breathing', so he was screaming calling me on the phone," says Mintaa.His parents say medics told them their son had suffered a cardiac arrest and his heart had stopped for 40 minutes.
Othneil was airlifted to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford in a critical condition.Despite emergency surgery, his parents say his brain damage was so severe he remained in a coma for more than three weeks before his life support was switched off."There's nothing I can do to stop it and I watched my son breathe the last [breath] and I told the nurses and then the doctors and consultants that my son is gone," Peter says.Mintaa tells me it still feels like a dream she's not woken up from."I can't believe that he just passed away just like that because he was full of life, full of energy," she says.Nineteen people were injured in total in the single vehicle crash. Six-year-old Kwaku Frimpong from Bracknell died at the scene. Five other children were seriously injured but have since been discharged from hospital.
Othneil and Kwaku's families are very close and are supporting each other through their grief.Mintaa says Kwaku was a real character who loved superheroes."Kwaku is an energetic boy and he likes Spiderman, he likes drawing he's got a lot of drawings at the school, Kwaku is someone lovely," says Mintaa.Last month a vigil was organised by Othneil's football club.Members of the community were invited to attend the event at Birch Hill Recreation Ground in Bracknell on 13 June, with candles lit and balloons released in Othniel's memory.Crowthorne FC has also raised more than £9,000 for his family.
Hundreds of mourners gathered for Othneil and Kwaku's funeral in Bracknell on 11 July.Members of the Ghanaian community, school friends and football teammates attended the service at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The BBC was given permission by both families to be there."We are so grateful for the community, for the council, for the schools and friends, the church, " says Mintaa."That day what we saw make us feel proud," adds Peter.Othniel and Kwaku's families are planning to set up a charity together in their memory, for people in need in the UK and Ghana.Thames Valley Police's serious collision investigation unit continues to investigate what caused the crash, no arrests have been made.
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