A six-year-old child has died following a motor vehicle accident along Noco Road yesterday morning.
Police said the victim had accompanied his father to buy bread when they were offered a ride home by a 29-year-old driver.
The father and child accepted the offer, but while approaching the Nabitu junction, the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle, causing it to veer off the road.
The child sustained serious injuries and was rushed to Wainibokasi Hospital, where medical officials later confirmed his death.
Police confirmed that the driver was taken into custody after it was established he had been driving under the influence of alcohol.
The victim’s father and a second passenger in the vehicle were not injured.
Authorities say the country’s road death toll now stands at 10 compared to three for the same period last year.
Investigations into the incident are continuing.
Police have reiterated their warning about the dangers of drinking and driving, saying such behaviour continues to claim innocent lives and devastate families.
They say drink-driving not only puts the driver and passengers at risk, but also other road users on Fiji’s roads.
