A family’s aspirations to send their daughter to Australia for her studies have been tragically disrupted after a fatal accident in Lautoka early Sunday morning. Vani Ratudradra was set to reunite with her twin sister later this year when the crash claimed her life, leaving her family devastated.
According to police spokesperson Ana Naisoro, Ms. Ratudradra was one of four passengers in a vehicle that lost control while traveling along Queens Road near Navutu. The vehicle veered off the road and crashed into a post, resulting in her death at the scene. The driver, a 24-year-old, along with three others, was taken to Lautoka Aspen Hospital with serious injuries.
Vani’s brother, Sela, recounted receiving a call shortly after 1 a.m. informing him that his sisters had been involved in the accident. “I immediately went there. I couldn’t focus on the crowd, the police, or the fire officers; I just wanted to save my sister and rush her to the hospital,” he said, adding that Vani had recently been discharged from the hospital after a significant illness.
He noted that two of his sisters were passengers in the vehicle during the incident. “Vani died, and another sister is still in the Trauma Ward at Lautoka Hospital,” he shared. The siblings were returning from a 21st birthday celebration when the accident occurred.
The family ensured Vani was always accompanied by someone due to her past health issues, and she was with one of her sisters and friends that night. A former student of Jasper Williams High School, Vani was eagerly anticipating joining her twin sister in Australia at the end of the year.
Their mother, Losalini Ratudradra, remains in shock over the sudden loss. The three passengers who survived were scheduled to attend a youth church service at their church in Natabua the following day.
Investigations into the cause of the accident are ongoing. The current national road death toll stands at 42, a decrease from 63 during the same period last year.