Tragedy Leaves Family Heart-broken
“He didn’t have driving license and he never drove a car according to my knowledge because he was unable to walk properly,” she said.
Thursday 05 December 2024 | 11:15
Premila Devi showing the photo of the nephew, Shalvin Lal at Napoidi Settlement in Labasa on December 4, 2024. Photo: Shratika Naidu
A guardian of a 16-year-old boy who died in a fatal accident Labasa early this week is seeking answers.
Premila Devi, of Napoidi Settlement, Labasa never thought Monday night dinner would be the last meal with her nephew, Shalvin Lal.
The mother of a child cried bitterly while standing in her veranda watching the relatives putting up the shed for the funeral yesterday.
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“That day he returned home from having a swim in the afternoon sharing jokes just to avoid me from asking questions about his whereabouts,” Mrs Devi said.
“My husband and I raised him up since he was seven years old after his father’s death, so I was like a mother to him.”
Her husband and Shalvin’s father were biological brothers.
She said Shalvin suffered from physical disability as he was unable to use his right hand and right leg like any other normal child.
After dinner she said Shalvin took a nap and later informed her that he would go out in the night when his uncle returns from Savusavu.
The 45-year-old mother said that was the last conversation they had until at 2am she received a call from the uncle that Shalvin passed away in a car accident at Naduna.
“He didn’t have driving license and he never drove a car according to my knowledge because he was unable to walk properly,” she said.
“He dropped out of school after Year One because he was unable to write.”
She said when she received the call from the doctor that morning to identify the body there were only some cuts on his chin, bruises on the leg and face were swollen.
“It is really difficult for us to believe that he drove the car and died in the car accident,” she said.
“Since we are all family members it is painful to think what to do next or what will happen.”
Shalvin was the youngest of three siblings.
Director Traffic, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mitieli Divuana said the victim allegedly lost control of his vehicle causing it to veer off the road and hit a culvert.
SSP Divuana said the victim was driving unlawfully without a driver’s license, a matter that will also be part of the ongoing investigation.
The road death toll currently stands at 57 compared to 74 for the same period last year.
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