Fiji recorded two more deaths on our roads on Wednesday, one of them a 74-year-old who was making his way home after picking up his grandson from school.
Surendra Prasad was allegedly struck by a speeding vehicle, sending him flying and landing on his neighbour’s driveway in Nakasi.
“The vehicle was moving in a zig-zag motion and when uncle (Surendra Prasad) was crossing, the white car just bumped him,” claims Sashi Kiran Singh who took care of the deceased and his wife.
“And the driver hit and ran away.”
Ms Singh claims instead of rushing to aid the injured man, bystanders shamefully chose to pull out their phones, capturing the tragedy on video and even creating TikTok videos.
“We had just lost someone and how are we expected to feel when people are making TikTok’s,” she said.
Amid the chaos, Ms Singh sprang into action, and called emergency services in a frantic attempt to save Mr Prasad’s life.
But even as she rushed to his side, she found herself confronted by a crowd more interested in documenting the tragedy than lending a helping hand.
She claimed help arrived two hours after the tragedy had occurred.
According to police, the vehicle that hit Mr Prasad was driven by a 17-year-old student who was allegedly driving on the wrong side of the road.
In the second incident a 38-year-old man’s car allegedly struck a 21-year-old male the same day at Ratu Dovi Rd, near Nadera.
He was taken to the Valelevu Health Centre but was pronounced dead on arrival.
The national road death toll stands at 14, compared with 19 for the same period last year.
