Updated: 6:14am – Premila Devi, 56, of Matawalu, Lautoka said she would never be able to forget the pain of seeing her mother get into a major accident right in front of her which took her life.
Brijla Bai, 75, was helping her daughter Premila Devi sell mangoes by the Kings Highway on Tuesday when the unfortunate accident happened.
“I was with my mum and we were selling mangoes by the road.
“At around 11:30 am on October 24th a 5 tonne truck came and stopped by our stall.
“The rear left tyre from the vehicle came off and hit my mum on her waist and legs which caused heavy bleeding,” Ms Devi said.
She added that with the help of some Government workers she rushed her mother to the Lautoka hospital and her mother passed away in the afternoon.
Ms Devi said that she was taking care of her mother and this loss had left her in deep pain.
Nemani Waka, 65, who also sells mangoes opposite of Ms Devi’s stall, said that he heard a big bang as soon as the five tonne truck stopped.
“I thought it was a flat tyre but then Ms Devi called out to me for help as her mum had sustained serious injuries.”
“I rushed to help them and could see that she was bleeding heavily,” Mr Waka said.
Mr Waka described Ms Bai as a friendly lady who used to make jokes by the roadside, while selling mangoes.
Police Spokesperson Ana Naisoro confirmed that the truck was driven by a 31-year-old man.
She also confirmed that the driver of the vehicle had sustained serious injuries and was yet to be questioned by the Police.
She added that the investigation is continuing and the post mortem will be conducted to ascertain the cause of damage.
The family has concluded that the Ms Bai will be cremated at Drasa Crematorium on October 28th.
The total road death tolls stands at 54 compared to 47 for the same period last year.
-Fiji Sun
Featured Image: Premila Devi with her son Raja Raj when he was 10 and her late mother Brijla Bai.
