Reneé Dillion, STAR Writer

If you happen to spot Beenie Man in a vehicle, chances are he will not be in the driver's seat.

"No, I don't drive. I have a driver. Me no really drive mi self from the accident," he told the STAR.

Rewind to 2004, the year that could've been a fatal one for one of dancehall's leading acts, Beenie Man, whose real name is Moses Davis.

It was an early January morning; somewhere close to 4 a.m. Beenie Man was driving alone, responding to phone calls from friends enquiring how close he was to the venue where he had a show.

"I was going to Manchester for my friend's Blase party. I was driving and the road was under construction, but it was around a bend and I couldn't see it, and by the time me try fi slow down, the van hit a stone, turned over and end up in a precipice (ditch). Me wake up in the hospital, that's all me remember from me go inna the precipice," Beenie Man recalled of the accident that took place along Mandela Highway.

Shock waves

The news that Beenie had crashed his Hummer quickly became pervasive, sending shock waves all across Jamaica - from the music fraternity to his fans.

The artiste shared that he did not call out to Selassie at the time, but the Almighty God, as he saw where his successful life and blooming career could've been snuffed out in an instant.

"Yeah man, when me a go dung inna the hole me say, 'Almighty God no mek mi dead,'" he recounted.

Although his life was spared, he did sustain some serious injuries.

"I punctured my lung, had broken rib and chest injuries. I had a concussion, me get cuts and whole heap a things, you know," he said. "I was out for a few weeks."

After the accident, Beenie had to do emergency surgery to remove fluid from his lungs. He remained in the St Joseph's Hospital for a little over two weeks after he was transferred from Spanish Town Hospital.

Fast-forward to 11 years later and the vibrant entertainer is still very happy he is alive.

"I'm just happy for life. Me neva haffi live. Di van write off, mi jus give thanks fi life. Some people a kill dem woman and kill dem self, but me no inna dat. Life is precious, yuh seet," he stressed.

"People don't even want half of my problems, not even half; but me know the importance of life, so I try to live it to the fullest."