A single car crash Saturday night on Palau’s Babeldaob Island claimed the life of a Marshallese student from Ebeye who was on track to graduate from Palau Community College next year.
Reports from police and a doctor said that Robby Abner, son of Kionet Bajo and the late Kabjenlan Abner of Ebeye, died at the scene of the crash on the US-Palau Compact Road in Aimeliik State the night of July 31.
Robby was described as a passenger in the vehicle. The other two occupants, also Marshallese, were briefly hospitalized and released from Belau National Hospital Monday this week.
The car veered off the highway and slammed into a power pole, breaking it in half, and causing an island-wide power outage this past Saturday around 11pm, according to police reports of the incident. It was the lead story in Palau’s Tia Belau newspaper Monday this week.
PCC President Patrick Tellei and the college board announced “the untimely passing of one of our students, Mr. Robby Abner, a sophomore student from the RMI. Robby was slated to graduate in summer 2022 with as associate degree in Small Engine and Outboard Marine Technology.”
Robby graduated from GEM Christian School on Ebeye in 2019 and enrolled at PCC at the beginning of last year.
“Robby has been described by many of his fellow students as soft-spoken and one who liked to participate in many activities with his fellow classmates and dorm residents including volunteering with various campus events and projects,” said PCC in a statement. PCC asked that “everyone join us in extending our heartfelt condolences to the family of our student Mr. Robby Abner.”