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Avi Ben Stella Car Crash: Viral Hoax or Real Plea for Prayers?

by Blaine Metzgar | August 25, 2009 at 09:07 am

53419 views | 5 Recommendations | 19 comments

The story of Avi Ben Stella, a 12 year-old who is now in a coma after surviving a car crash, has gone viral but is it really a legitimate plea for prayers or a mere hoax? The story has hit email accounts, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms but the question of whether or not the story is real or not remains. A number of different messages are being passed along with the same sentiment but the claims are yet to be substantiated.

“Please say a prayer for Avi Ben Stella–a 12 year old boy who was in a very serious car accident and is now in critical condition. If you would change your status for even one hour it would help spread the word. I do not personally know this child but was asked to paste to my wonderful friends…power in prayer!!!”

“Please say tehillim for Avi Ben Stella–a 12 year old boy who was in a very serious car accident and is now in critical condition. He is lying in a coma.”

PRAYERS NEEDED for 12 yr old Avi Ben Stella who, after a serious car crash is now in a critical coma. Pls change your status for 1 hr so more people can become aware and add to the prayers. We would do it for your son, pls. do this for somebody else's son. Thank you.

Snopes.com says the story has been circulating since mid-August but that they have yet to be able to verify if Avi Ben Stella's story is real.

Avi Ben Stella may be a mispelling of the real victim of the car accident; Aviv Babayeva was in critical condition on August 13, 2009 after he was involved in a drag racing accident in the back seat of a teenagers car in Queens, New York.

Babayeva suffered two broken femurs, a broken pelvis, severe trauma to his torso and head, and swelling to his brain that requried surgery, according to District Attorney Richard Brown.

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Josephine ozavize bamidele (not verified)

at 11:54 on August 25th, 2009

Pls say a prayer for Avi Ben Stella i do not know this kid but read about him so now am urging u all to pray for him. God bless you as you do so! Amen.

Sum Guy (not verified)

at 13:24 on August 25th, 2009

this is not a hoax in queens there really was a car crash on francis lewis blvd and the reason it has stopped is because he died so stop saying its a hoax u creepps

Dummy_ (not verified)

at 09:55 on August 26th, 2009

there are car crashes everywhere and young and old people in coma everywhere !!so why would we pray for ben stella ?

tazzzzzzzz (not verified)

at 03:57 on August 27th, 2009

pray for him because someone has asked. u dnt only pray for people u know, u pray for as many as u can as often as u can thts wat christianity is about. So if u can be specific at tyms there is no harm, and by prayin for this one, u remember to pray for all.

Billo (not verified)

at 21:02 on September 9th, 2009

Why not?

Kyym (not verified)

at 13:24 on August 25th, 2009

In the name of Jesus I call healing right now wake him up and restore health in you name Amen

hadadick (not verified)

at 15:22 on August 25th, 2009

yes! god will bring him back from the dead!

that guy (not verified)

at 16:59 on August 25th, 2009

Didn't work. He died.

another guy (not verified)

at 22:10 on August 25th, 2009

(rolf)

a girl (not verified)

at 07:12 on August 26th, 2009

loooooooool.

another one (not verified)

at 09:56 on August 26th, 2009

"hadadick" ! you don't have one anymore ? :D

ashleigh qns (not verified)

at 14:03 on August 25th, 2009

www.nypost.com/seven/08132009/news/regionalnews/queens/boy_fights_for_his_life_after_two_teenag_351607146.htmstella is the mothers name ben is son in herbrew, what it says is please pray for avi son of stella

Minna Winters (not verified)

at 19:12 on August 25th, 2009

Snopes says it is false

lili (not verified)

at 19:14 on August 25th, 2009

i dont really know if its true or not but any way ill pray for that boy you never know..

sinajina (not verified)

at 23:22 on August 25th, 2009

ai really,,no comment!

Haydee (not verified)

at 04:31 on August 26th, 2009

The boy, Aviv Babayeva, was in critical condition at New York Hospital Queens in Flushing (the name was misspelled) the 12year old boy died over the weekend so sad...