Family trip turns into tragedy

‘The vehicle was driven by the victim’s 37year old-son, who was accompanied by his 35-year-old wife and their eight-month-old daughter’

Afamily from Buca, Savusavu, is in mourning after their 69-year-old mother and grandmother died in a road accident at Lomaloma on Friday.

Dead is Jai Kumari after the twin-cab vehicle she was travelling in veered off the road. In the vehicle were driver Rajnesh Raj, 37, his wife Sunila Devi, 35, their daughter Shraniya Raj and Ms Kumari.

They were on their way to attend a prayer session in Bua.

Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro said Ms Kumari was pronounced dead while being rushed to the Labasa Hospital.

“The vehicle she was travelling in veered off the road near the Waisali Hill in Lomaloma,” Ms Naisoro said. “The vehicle was driven by the victim’s 37-year old-son, who was accompanied by his 35-year-old wife and their eight-month-old daughter. “The family was travelling from Savusavu heading to Bua to spend the weekend when the suspect allegedly lost control of the vehicle at a bend on a hill, causing it to veer off to the right side of the road before hitting a rock which caused the vehicle to tumble upside down,” she said.

When Fiji Sun contacted Mr Raj yesterday afternoon, he said: “I cannot comment on the incident because I am still in shock.”

Landlord Regan Prasad said Ms Kumari was popular and much loved by everyone who called her nani.

“Her family is in shock and were trying to come to terms of the passing of their mother, aunty, sister, sister-inlaw, Dadi and Nani,” Mr Prasad said. “The family has been renting beside my home for more than 15 years. I received the sad news from a friend that they had been involved in an accident.”

The road death toll currently stands at 31, the same for the same period last year.