Woman Weeps As Her Grandson Dies in Arms
Lautoka toddler, 19 months, crushed by a truck in a shared driveway
Awoman wept and watched helplessly yesterday as her only grandson, crushed by a truck, died in her arms on the way to hospital. Roselyn Naidu of Vomo St, Lautoka, said she wished it was only a terrible dream.
But after she carried little Viliame Azariah Ross, one year seven months, in a car rushing to hospital, she said: “I just want this terrible nightmare to go away and want Sonny to be buried quickly as I cannot stand to think of him lying in the mortuary.” The toddler was known affectionately as “Sonny” or “Yaca” (namesake as he carried his grandfather’s name). Ms Naidu said: “On the way to the hospital as I was carrying Sonny, I noticed he started to go pale. “I could not see any blood coming out from anywhere and I turned him on his back.” “I then noticed the blood coming out was following the marks of the tyre where it ran over him.” Ms Naidu recalled it was after midday when the incident took place. “We always keep the door closed at all times and Sonny used to åQG HYHU\ FKDQFH WR GDVK RXWside once the door was open,” Ms Naidu said. “One second you see him and the next he was gone out the door,” she said. “It was not until a neighbour had called out to us did we realise something was wrong. “I sent my son Junior to check and when he lifted Sonny, his body was limp and he was trying to breathe.” Ms Naidu said she immediately called her neighbour for his vehicle and the little boy was rushed to hospital.
She said she was still trying to come to terms with not having her playful little grandson around anymore. Sonny’s mother, Teresa Ross, was grief-stricken and lost for words. A three-tonne truck, which ZDV RIaeRDGLQJ VRPH VWXII DW WKH
neighbour’s home had allegedly taken off in haste a couple of minutes before Sonny was seen by a neighbour. Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro said a 40-year-old manager of Lautoka was in custody in relation to this fatal accident. Ms Naisoro said the toddler was taken to the Lautoka Hospital but was pronounced dead.
“Information gathered by the investigators alleged the suspect’s vehicle was sighted at the scene of where the boy was found.” He remains in custody as investigations continue. Ms Naidu said the post mortem would be done today and the burial was expected to take place tomorrow. Sonny was the third toddler to have died in a matter of weeks under similar circumstances. On October 3, Asenaca Nakase, three, was crushed to death by a moving bus at Lautoka Bus Stand. On September 27, an eightmonth old child died after he fell out from a moving in Rakiraki. On August 29, one-year-old Litia Rakavosa, was crushed to death by a bottle collecting truck in her driveway in Tavua.