Arvin Singh dreaded the call he received in the early hours of Sunday morning and woke up abruptly to the news that his cousin brother Dhirendra Singh was no more.
The 55-year-old carpenter was the victim of a freak accident along the Vuda Bridge on the Queens Rd.
Police said the car he was travelling in veered off into a nearby river when the driver lost control of the vehicle.
“He was on his way back home to Sabeto after attending a religious gathering in Lautoka when the accident happened,” Mr Singh said.
“The news came as a shock to us because we did not expect Dhirendra to die this way.
“It took us some time to digest the fact that he is gone and the news brings so much sadness to my family.”
Mr Singh said they had always lived with Dhirendra and he was never married.
He said they would miss his witty and loving character and their evening family conversations around the grog basin.
Police spokeswoman Ana Naisoro said the victim was the passenger of a motor vehicle driven by a 20-year-old man who lost control of the vehicle later resulting in the car landing in the nearby river.
Ms Naisoro said the alleged incident occurred after 1am and the driver managed to free himself from the car while the victim remained trapped inside.
His body was retrieved by divers and is being kept at the Lautoka Hospital morgue.
Police said the driver was in custody at the Lautoka Police Station as investigations continued.
