Police question suspect in Vitogo hit-and-run death

Vitogo resident Savenaca Seru first noticed a foul smell last Friday while walking along a sugarcane tramline near the roadside on his way to mow grass at a nearby property.

“At first, I thought it was a dog that had been hit by a vehicle,” Seru said.

He did not investigate further and returned home.

On Saturday, while walking along the same path to mow grass at another residence, Seru said the smell had become stronger.

“When I went back in the evening, I decided to check where the smell was coming from. I saw what looked like a body lying in the grass. From the clothing, I could tell it was a male,” he said.

Seru said he returned home to put away his equipment and asked two nearby friends to accompany him back to the area.

“They went closer but could not identify the person. We believed the body had been there for a few days,” he said.

One of the men alerted Police.

Police later confirmed the body was that of an unidentified iTaukei man found lying motionless in a roadside drain on Saturday night. Officers from the Lautoka Police Station attended the scene and removed the body.

Following house-to-house inquiries yesterday, a relative identified the deceased.

Police said the victim was a 40-year-old man from Vanuakula Settlement in Drasa, Lautoka.

The incident is being treated as a hit-and-run case, with a suspect currently being questioned at the Lautoka Police Station.

Investigations are continuing.