Two people are dead!
They were killed in a horrific road accident yesterday at Nabukavesi, between Suva and Navua.
One person is in a critical condition at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva, and a bus driver is under observation at the Navua Hospital following the accident.
It is sad that death has to be part of the process of us opening our eyes to the carnage on our roads.
Death is inevitable. But death should not be happening in such a manner.
In an ideal world, there should be no accidents.
There should be no pain, no suffering and no loss of lives. We expect that in an ideal world.
We expect that it should matter to every road user, and we would all make an effort to be part of a radical shift in mindset, to embrace road safety.
But we are not in an ideal world. Accidents happen!
Perhaps this is an apt time for us to acknowledge the effort of our police force, in upholding laws that govern road usage.
When police officers of our traffic department are working long hours to be part of the culture of awareness on our roads, we should appreciate the effort.
Drivers go through tests before they are given licences.
They are expected to abide by laws that govern road usage.
We expect every driver to justify why they should have a licence to drive, and stay within the ambits of the law. The police can’t be everywhere.
This places attention on us as individuals to be part of the road safety campaign.
Nabukavesi villager Selestino Peni, who was one of the first people at the scene said he was at home when he heard a loud noise around 1pm.
“After we heard the noise, we quickly made our way to the road and we came to see that the bus was on top of the car in the drain,” Mr Peni said.
He said he could see there were three passengers in the car, while there were no passengers in the bus apart from the driver.
Police spokeswoman Ana Naisoro confirmed a man and woman who were passengers in the car had died in the accident.
Ms Naisoro said the third person in the car was in critical condition.
As police investigations continue, we are left to ponder on life, and how valuable it is.
This is an unfortunate incident that must alert us all to the dangers that prevails on our roads.
As we continue our journey into the festive season, we must remind ourselves about how fragile life can be, and how it hangs on a thread sometimes.
Let’s stay safe, abide by laws governing road usage, and plan to arrive safely, and alive at our destinations.
Let’s remember our loved ones.
Let’s be passionate about life.
We realise this may be difficult right now, but we hope the families affected by this tragedy will find some peace in this very sad moment in their lives.
