A family’s dreams of sending their daughter to Australia for her studies ended in tragedy with the death of Vani Ratudradra in a car accident in Lautoka early Sunday morning.
Vani, who was due to join her twin sister later this year, was one of four passengers in the vehicle at the time of the crash. According to police spokesperson Ana Naisoro, the vehicle was being driven by a 24-year-old when the driver allegedly lost control near Navutu on Queens Road, leading to the vehicle crashing into a post. Vani tragically died at the scene, while the driver and three other passengers were taken to Lautoka Aspen Hospital with serious injuries.
Her brother, Sela, recounted receiving a call shortly after 1am informing him of the accident involving his sisters. Rushing to the scene, he described being overwhelmed by the presence of emergency personnel but focused solely on saving his sister. “Last month she was discharged from the hospital after being very ill. That’s why I tried to save her,” he said.
Two of Vani’s sisters were also in the vehicle. While Vani did not survive, another sister remains in the trauma ward at Lautoka Hospital. The family had been returning from a 21st birthday celebration at the time of the incident. Sela expressed the family’s commitment to taking care of Vani, who was always accompanied by a family member or friends following her recent health issues.
A former student of Jasper Williams High School, Vani was gearing up to reunite with her twin sister, currently studying in Australia, at the end of this year. The twins were the youngest of eight siblings, and their mother, Losalini Ratudradra, is still in great shock over the loss.
The three passengers, including Vani, were expected to participate in a youth church service (Mataveitokani) at their church in Natabua that day. Ms. Naisoro confirmed that investigations into the accident are ongoing to determine its cause. The national road death toll now stands at 42, a decrease from 63 during the same period last year.