A heavy metal drummer originally from Catawba County died in a car crash in South Carolina on New Year鈥檚 Eve.
Joshua 鈥淣assaru鈥 Allen Ward, 37, was one of four people killed in a crash just outside of the city of Greenville, South Carolina. The crash happened shortly before 9:15 p.m. on Dec. 31, South Carolina Highway Patrol Cpl. Nick Pye said in a news release. The driver of the second vehicle involved in the crash was charged with driving under the influence.
Joshua 鈥淣assaru鈥 Allen Ward was one of four killed in a crash in South Carolina on New Year's Eve.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what鈥檚 got everybody angry and sorry at the same time,鈥 Brown Mountain Lights Festival founder Stacey Peek said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just so stupid when somebody goes out drinking and driving and take the lives of people. Four innocent people. That鈥檚 what bothers me the most.鈥
The festival was held in 麻豆传媒 in October.聽Ward was a singer and drummer for the Asheville-based heavy metal band Voraath. Ward was also a 2005 graduate of Bunker Hill High School. Ward was living in Burke County.
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Peek said Ward was involved with the festival and would frequently attend planning meetings. Peek said Ward鈥檚 heavy metal band Voraath headlined the festival in 2024. Peek described Ward as a large man who looked menacing but was one of the kindest people he鈥檇 known.
Peek said he鈥檚 known Ward for a little less than two years. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to know someone for 20 years to know they are a good person,鈥 Peek said.
The crash
Ward was one of four occupants of a 2017 Subaru SUV. All occupants of the Subaru died, including聽Ward鈥檚 fianc茅e, Peek said.
Nicholas Shane Meeks, 31, is charged with four counts of driving under the influence with death results and misdemeanor driving under suspension, according to the Greenville County Detention Center inmate list.
Meeks was the driver and sole occupant of a 2012 BMW sedan, Pye said.
The BMW was traveling south and the Subaru was backing into the southbound lane of a South Carolina road out of a private driveway. The BMW collided with the Subaru then ran off the left side of the road and struck a tree, Pye said.
Nicholas Shane Meeks
As of Friday morning, the Greenville County Coroner's Office has released the identities of two of the four individuals killed in the crash. The coroner's office said 30-year-old Amanda Lynn Leroux, of North Carolina, and 29-year-old Audrey Marie Ross of Donalds, South Carolina, were killed.
His friends are grieving
鈥淚f someone had called me saying he died fighting off someone to protect someone, I would鈥檝e said, 鈥楾hat sounds like Josh,鈥欌 Ward鈥檚 friend Travis Colvard said. 鈥淏ut he was killed by a drunk driver. I鈥檓 still kind of numb. You don鈥檛 expect it to happen that way.鈥
Colvard described Ward as superhuman. Colvard told stories of Ward climbing through heavy brush to save a woman after her vehicle plunged down a wooded embankment. He also talked of Ward protecting concertgoers from a man wielding a knife.
鈥淛osh had lots of stories like that,鈥 Colvard said. Colvard added that he knew Ward for roughly 10 years. Along with being a drummer, Ward was a martial artist. That is how Colvard said he met Ward.
Following Hurricane Helene, Ward volunteered his time to bring supplies to people in western North Carolina. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the kind of person Josh was,鈥 Peek said.
$19,000 raised for son
Colvard started a page to help with funeral expenses and provide support for Ward鈥檚 8-year-old son Kai.
鈥淛osh didn鈥檛 have a lot, so I wanted to do something to help his son,鈥 Colvard said. As of Friday morning, the GoFundMe has raised more than $19,000.
