Three die in separate road accidents

Two separate road accidents in Fiji's Western Division yesterday claimed three lives.

The first mishap occurred at about 5.08pm at Navutu Rd Lautoka whereby the driver of a private vehicle hit an i-Taukei man who crossed the road suddenly.

 He was rushed to the Lautoka Hospital but later died at 9.00pm.

The driver is in custody and being questioned.

The second accident happened along the Queens Rd at Sovi Bay at 6.30pm when the driver of a private vehicle lost control and veered onto the opposite lane.

A collision occurred between the said vehicle and a Government vehicle which was returning to Nadi from Suva.

The impact of the collision resulted in the Government vehicle tumbling about 5 to 6 times on the highway and later caught fire when the passengers were taken out.

The passengers were conveyed to the Sigatoka Hospital where the driver of the government vehicle and the front seat passenger were pronounced dead on arrival.

FijiLive has eastablished that the deceased was a senior official of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation.

The rest of the passengers were treated and sent home.

The driver of the private vehicle is currently in police custody.

 Police are once again pleading with motorists to exercise extreme caution when out on our roads.

 Spokeswoman Ana Naisoro has urged motorists to plan their activities wisely to prevent speeding.

"We are requesting this especially at this time as there will be a lot of movement of people along our highways," she said.

 The road death toll currently stands at 24 compared to 26 for the same period last year.

By Reginald Chandar