Entertainment

Stitchie survives crash

By TEINO EVANS, Staff Reporter

Stitchie. - FILE

INTERNATIONAL GOSPEL REGGAE artiste Cleve 'Stitchie' Laing is today counting his blessings.

He and a small group of delegates from his record company, Drum and Bass, were involved in a car accident on their way to perform at a show called 'Gospel Sting' in South Florida.

The accident, which took place on Highway 95, last Saturday evening, occurred when two tires (one from the front and the other at the rear) blew out, throwing the van from one lane to the next, and causing it to overturn.

According to Stitchie's publicist, Cornelius Brown, "He (Stitchie) received a lot of cuts and bruises and broke one of his fingers, but was released from hospital late Sunday evening." His manager (Radcliff Pusey) broke his right ankle and suffered a very deep cut on his left thigh, Brown said.

The driver of the vehicle is reportedly still in hospital, slipping in and out of consciousness.

"Stitchie still went and closed the show in fine style, in his battered and bruised state, but following the show, he had to return to the hospital," Brown said.

The Drum and Bass family, he says, is now breathing a sigh of relief as they are rejoicing in the fact that none of their comrades were killed in the accident.

"God is a present help in times of trouble, and he knows all those who trust in him," Stitchie said, recalling getting saved under similar circumstances while on his way to Reggae Sumfest in 1997. It was almost like a replay of the whole thing, he said.

Stitchie is scheduled to next appear at a show in Philadelphia, on April 22, before moving on to New Jersey and New York on April 23 and 24 respectively.

Currently, Stitchie's two music videos from singles Fast and Pray and Gospel Reggae (from his Kingdom Ambassador album), are currently in high rotation on BET.