Father recounts moments of Antioch crash that killed two sons

ANTIOCH, Calif. - The father of a 13-year-old boy killed in an Antioch crash, along with his 12-year-old stepbrother, recounted details about the deadly wreck in an interview Wednesday, saying that he was driving the car the boys were in and dispelling what he calls misconceptions about what happened.

Amanze Emenike was the father of Amahjè Emenike, 13, and the stepfather to 12-year-old Arsenio Rabb. The fatal crash happened last Friday at the intersection of West G and Sixth streets.

"The accident happened around the corner from my house," he recalled.

Emenike told KTVU that he and the boys were returning from a nearby store, taking the dimly lit backstreets in his four-door blue sedan with Amahjè and Arsenio in the backseat.

He said that he was not speeding and yielded to a stop sign at the intersection, before driving straight through and being suddenly hit by a black Cadillac SUV.

"As soon as I look to the right, I see the truck coming, but all I see is big headlights. So of course, as an instinct of a defensive driver, I try to get out the way," Emenike explained. "He (SUV driver) was like, literally coming at me."

An Antioch police lieutenant said that the driver of the black Cadillac SUV ran off from the scene. Emenike mentioned hearing the doors of the Cadillac SUV open and close after the crash.

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Mom of 13-year-old boy killed in Antioch hit-and-run mourns in frustration

The mother of a 13-year-old boy who was killed in an Antioch crash along with a 12-year-old boy said she is frustrated with the police for providing her with little help.

"When we get hit, I go blank. And then I come to and realize, I've been hit. I feel the pain in my back, but I'm alive. Let me look to the right, disaster. As soon as I look to the right side, my son and stepson both are sitting there not responding. Now it's fight or flight mode," he said.

Residents in the neighborhood rushed to help him and his sons. Amahjè was pulled from the wreckage first and sustained the worst injuries as the SUV struck the right side of the car where the 13-year-old was sitting.

Emenike said he freed himself from the car before removing his stepson Arsenio.

"I ripped the whole back door off the hinges, and I pulled my stepson out myself. Then I run back over to my other son," he explained.

The force of the crash snapped off a fire hydrant at the intersection, causing water to gush into the street. Emenike said he placed Amahjè near the fire hydrant in hopes that the water would help revive the injured boy.

The father described the scene as chaotic. After rescue crews arrived, both Amahjè and Arsenio were transported to a local hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

Police said they believed Emenike ran a stop sign, leading to the crash. But some of the driver's account contradicted their reports. There is also no surveillance video of the crash. The Antioch police lieutenant mentioned that the Cadillac SUV did not have a stop sign at the intersection. 

Emenike insisted he did not run the stop sign. He also said he wanted to clarify any misunderstandings about who was behind the wheel of the blue sedan, as police earlier stated that they had not determined who the driver was or whether the driver fled the accident scene too.

"I'm the driver of the blue sedan," he said.  Emenike said that he never left the crash scene.

Emenike said he declined medical attention for himself, though saying he was also a victim.

"I got hurt in that crash," he said.

Emenike said that he provided a statement to police at the scene and has received little information from Antioch police regarding their investigation. Police told KTVU that as of Wednesday there is no update on the search for the driver of the black SUV.