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Two families are shattered, children left fatherless, and a community grieves – all because of a tragic accident that family members say should never have happened.

The lives of cousins Osea Naitutu, 32, and Iowane Tabu, 46, were cut short in the early hours of Sunday amid allegations of a hit-and-run from a vehicle driven by a 17-year-old boy, unlicensed and behind the wheel of what’s believed to be a government-issued car.

Mr Naitutu and Mr Tabu were standing by the roadside along Bau Road in Nausori when they were struck. The teenage driver, who reportedly drove the vehicle without the father’s knowledge, is now in police custody. Police said the suspect’s father, a designated driver of the government vehicle, was asleep at the time of the alleged incident.

Mr Tabu leaves behind a grieving wife and children who depended on him.

“My children won’t see their father again,” said wife Ana Tinai Savumaca, holding back tears.

“He was our main supporter. I am sick and can’t work. The children are still in school – how will we go on?” Their daughter, Laisa Megan, wept: “I miss my father. I will never see his face again for the rest of my life.”

The vehicle involved in the fatal crash is believed to be assigned to an assistant minister.

Simione Naitutu, with a photo of Osea
Naitutu, who died in a suspected h it-andrun
accident along Bau Rd in Nausori on
June 15, 2025.
Photo: Rariqi Turner

It is alleged that the 17-year-old in custody is the son of the Assistant Minister’s designated driver.

Mr Naitutu, remembered as the heart of the family, also left a void no words can fill.

“He told me I was his best uncle,” said uncle Simione Naitutu, overcome with emotion.

“When we got to the scene, they were lying motionless. We called out, but they didn’t respond.”

As the family mourns, so does the demand for answers.

“This should never have happened,” said Mr Tabu’s relative, Miriama Vasa.

“The Government needs to act. We want justice for Iowane. We want accountability.”

Police investigations are ongoing.

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