Shelly Singh was on the phone with her partner Bisun Lal.
They were talking when she heard a loud noise before the phone went silent!
She tried calling the number again but it just kept ringing!
She did not know that her partner, Mr Lal, 45, was involved in a road accident that killed him!
He was on the phone with her when the accident happened along the Laqere Bridge at Nasinu on Sunday.
According to police, Mr Lal is alleged to have suddenly crossed the road at the Laqere Bridge when he was struck by a vehicle driven by a 29-year-old.
Director Traffic, Senior Superintendent (SSP) of Police, Mitieli Divuana, said investigations are continuing and the suspect is expected to be questioned after the postmortem examination is conducted.
Ms Singh now remembers her partner as a kind man.
She is now left with just memories of him.
“I tried calling back, but it just kept ringing,” she remembers.
It’s heart-breaking! It’s an emotional setback. Lingering memories are all she has left now of Mr Lal.
This is the reality of road accidents that claim a life.
Such moments are reminders about how fragile life can be!
There was life!
And second later, there was death!
This is why we must learn to appreciate life, and why there must be value placed on it.
This is why we must not take things for granted, especially relationships, and the presence of our loved ones.
This is why road safety is important, and why we must place value on understanding it, and creating awareness about why we should be adhering to road safety tips.
Every year we talk about road safety campaigns.
We talk about tips, and we share safety advice.
We discuss defensive driving and we talk about proper use of vehicles and our roads.
We talk about road rules and the importance of following them.
Yet every year we have accidents, and some people die.
We keep saying that road accidents happen because we allow them to.
We keep saying that we can prevent them as well. But there must be consideration for all that we have discussed above, about preventative measures and safety tips.
When deaths happen, they tear apart families.
They impact the lives of loved ones who are forced to live with the death of someone close to them.
And they also cost us in terms of productivity at the national level.
Then there are the associated costs when first aid responders attend to the scene of an accident, and for those that do survive with major injuries, there are the associated costs in terms of medical assistance and treatment!
With all these in mind, it pays to be prepared.
It pays to be proactive.
It pays to value life!
Let’s commit to making our roads safe!
