From bling to ding: luxury car-loving singer in police spotlight after high-speed crash in Sea Point

Afro-pop singer Prince Ebenezer Obioma likes to flaunt a R3m McLaren car in his music videos, including one that shows him speeding from police. 

However the law appeared to have caught up with Obioma in the real world on Saturday morning after a high-speed accident, in which he allegedly injured himself, a passenger and wrote off the trophy car.

The Nigerian national who lives in South Africa, better known by his hashtag 3gar_Baby, is an up-and-coming figure in the music world with his sultry voice and fashionista style. A white McLaren 570S coupe, purported to have been purchased by him two years ago, featured in a news report at the time and is a regular feature of his social media posts and videos.

At the weekend, the mangled remains of what appears to be the same McLaren were towed away from High Level Road in Sea Point, Cape Town, where CCTV footage captured a high-speed crash involving a driver and a passenger.  

Western Cape police on Sunday confirmed the crash but declined to identify the two suspects involved.

“Sea Point police registered a reckless and negligent driving case for investigation following a one vehicle crash in High Level Road, Sea Point on Saturday morning,” police said in response to queries. “The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation. We can confirm that two adult males were taken to a medical facility for medical treatment.” 

However, Obioma himself updated his followers about the accident, including one post showing his bloodied face, apparently taken in hospital. He also indicated his defence: that the crash was not his fault but caused by an errant pedestrian he had managed to avoid. “Could have been all over — I can't stop thanking God for life,” said one post. He thanked friends for their support, sharing he was grateful for “the way my brothers turned up for me”. 

A later post drew attention to the crash itself: “Why posts when I crashed out but not where I was avoiding to hit the homeless beggar at the traffic and the other driver on the wrong side of the road on a freeway (sic),” he said.

The suburban road is not a highway, and has a speed limit of 50km/h, according to residents' posts.

Obioma has 160,000 Insta followers, many of whom shared their well-wishes about the crash, though some were questioning him about the circumstances including the speed the vehicle was travelling at.

News of the crash has reignited concern about an increase in high-speed accidents on the Atlantic seaboard which appears to have become a parade ground for proud luxury car owners.

Last month a Ferrari driver was arrested for culpable homicide after colliding with and killing a 32-year-old doctor in Cape Town.   

Speaking at the weekend, several affected stakeholders said there had been inadequate government response to the trend.

“Street racing and noise complaints related to modified vehicles have long been an issue on the Atlantic Seaboard. However, over the past three to five years, the problem has worsened,” said Jacques Weber, former Sea Point ward councillor and currently chairperson of the Sea Point City Improvement District.

“Recently there have been several high-performance vehicle crashes, including one in Sea Point on Saturday and another on Buitengracht Street two weeks ago. Reports indicate that both vehicles were travelling at excessive speeds. Like many, I believe the city should be doing more, as enforcement remains inadequate. The reality is that during my time in council, we were able to get a handle on this issue through consistent weekly traffic policing interventions. Unfortunately, today, we see operations conducted sporadically — once, and then nothing again for several weeks.”

Some car owners like to show off their modified car engines with bursts of noise pollution — a particular problem on the popular and often congested Atlantic Seaboard. Authorities had largely failed to stop these regular disturbances, sources said. 

Cape Town traffic chief Andre Nel on Sunday added his voice of concern about speeding drivers, and said would-be racing drivers should investigate other opportunities to test their driving skills.

“Unfortunately, some drivers over-estimate their ability to drive. There is an opportunity for drivers to use Killarney (Motor Racing) track in Table View. They should contact the facility to see what options are available,” he said. 

Weber believes there was no alternative to stricter law enforcement if authorities wished to stamp out speeding and noise infringements.

“Unfortunately, I don’t believe that even if [Killarney] were open daily, it would significantly change the current situation. The novelty of driving along the coastal roads and the beachfront — primarily on Sundays, but to a lesser extent during the week — will likely continue, regardless of the availability of such facilities,” he said.