Officer dies in accident, wedding plans dashed

A Fiji Corrections Service (FCS) officer's December wedding was dashed after he died in a road accident at Kalokolevu on the Queens Road on Wednesday night.

According to Police, the late Sergeant Joseph Naivalu, 26, was driving a FCS vehicle at 8.30pm when he allegedly lost control of the vehicle, causing it to veer off the road.

The FCS training officer and two other passengers were rushed to the Suva Colonial War Memorial Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries while the other two are still admitted at the hospital.

His elder brother Ben Naivalu, 37, shared that their family was looking forward to the December 17 wedding.

He said his late brother was number eight among the 13 siblings.

"My brother just turned 30, four days ago, and we were looking forward to his wedding at the end of the year," Ben said.

"We have carried out all the protocol after visiting the bride to be's family in Vanua Levu to ask for her hand," he said.

"Everything is set, and we are just waiting for the wedding day in the Sugar City, then this has to happen.

"We miss him so much."

Sgt Naivalu is from Yasawa-i-Rara Village in Yasawa, with maternal links to Nakuruwai, Noco, Rewa.

He attended Burebasaga District School and Lelean Memorial School before he joined FCS in 2013 and worked up the ranks to training instructor in 2017.

"The driver and two passengers were rushed to the Colonial War Memorial Hospital where the driver unfortunately passed away as a result of the injuries he had sustained," a police statement said yesterday.

"The other two passengers are still admitted and are in stable condition; investigations continue."

The national road death toll stands at 23 compared to 23 for the same period last year.

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