American actor of Nigerian heritage, Obi Ndefo has died at the age of 51 years after losing both legs in a hit-and-run crash.
The cause of the actor’s death is unknown, but his sister and co-stars confirmed his passing on social media.
‘Heartbroken at the loss of my younger brother and knowing he’s finally at peace,’ his sister Nkem Ndefo wrote on Facebook.
Ndefo, who is a graduate of Yale, appeared in Dawson’s Creek between 1998 and 2002, where he played Katie Holmes’ character’s brother-in-law Bodie Wells. He additionally starred in Stargate SG-1 between 2000 and 2005.
The actor, who was born in Los Angeles to Nigerian parents has also featured in episodes of The West Wing, NYPD Blue, Crossing Jordan, and The District.
Mary-Margaret Humes, who played Dawson’s mom Gale Leery on the show, dedicated an Instagram post to Ndefo.
‘These words don’t come easy,’ she said. ‘It’s hard for me to conceive that you have left us, my dear friend. You always were and always will be a bright shining light. What an example of pure unfiltered love and tenacity you set as you faced life’s challenges of recent.
‘I will cherish all of our messages of love and support to each other over the past few years. Rest in peace sweet warrior.’
Obi’s death comes after he lost both of his legs after being hit by a car on Aug. 17, 2019.
The actor had been packing up groceries in his parked car after visiting a supermarket in L.A. when an SUV veered out of its lane and crashed into him, severing his right leg and leaving his left leg severely injured and attached only by his skin, per the Los Angeles Times. Obi ended up having his left leg amputated.
Speaking about life after the incident, Obi told the Los Angeles Times, “How do you know how you would handle this? … And anyway, what’s the alternative? … This is just so horrendous what happened to me, why would I compound this by feeling bad about it?”
“… There is no other choice for me. So there’s a sort of rigour to me, and I think, ‘OK my legs are severed. I don’t know how to do this, but I know how to do this.’
