Oilei, na makubuqu, (Oh, my grandson).

Those were the cries of a grandmother yesterday after she learned that her grandson had died from a horrific road accident along the Kings Road on Thursday night.

“I was just talking with my grandson at breakfast about their normal day’s work before he left for work on Thursday morning,” Vive Marama said.

With tears flowing uncontrollably the 66-year-old woman from Qelekuro Village, Tailevu, was sitting at home with close family members, holding on to a picture of her grandson, Filipo Masau, 32, and recalling the last conversation she had with him before he left for work on Thursday morning.

The deceased, Mr Masau, is one of two passengers who died in the accident on Thursday. The other victim is Paulo Belagio, 35, from Burelevu, Tailevu. The family was too distraught to talk to Fiji Sun yesterday.

Still trying to come to terms with her sudden loss, Ms Marama said Police had told her of the tragic news.

She had no idea where her grandson was headed to on Thursday night.

“He was the grandson of my brother who passed away with his wife a few years ago. He also lost his parents when he was small and I was the only closest family he had,” grandma Marama said.

“He was a good man. He was working as a carpenter in Natovi; he was very humble and nothing negative was ever heard in the village about him,” she said.

Police said in a statement that Mr Masau and Mr Belagio were travelling in a vehicle driven by a 32-year-old man of Natovi. Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro alleged that the driver had lost control of the vehicle near Viwa before smashing head-on with a five-tonne truck.

Ms Naisoro said three other passengers who were inside the same vehicle and the driver were all admitted at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital; a fourth victim was treated at the Korovou Hospital and discharged.

The road death toll currently stands at 58.

Police are investigating.

Edited by Naisa Koroi

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