Saturday 5 February 2022, Apia Samoa. Two men travelling in a speeding silver pajero that collided into a tamaligi tree at Tuanai were rushed to Motootua hospital with serious injuries. The driver was bleeding from injuries to his head according to witnesses, and the front seat passenger was still unconscious when FESA first responders took them away.
A young boy sitting in the back seat of the pajero with his seatbelt firmly fastened, “did not have a scratch on him” an witness told Samoa Global News.
According to a Tuanai resident, two cars were seen racing towards Apia, when a taxi identified to be from the Sama Taxi stand at Vaitele, drifted off the road and crashed into their family’s rock fence. The pajero soon followed, crashing into a tamaligi tree not far from where the taxi was stopped by rocks. “The pajero hit the side of the tree and then rolled before it came to a halt about 10 metres from the tree”.
“It happened right infront of my house after 7pm on Saturday night.. When we got to the pajero the car was still on so we lifted the hood and disconnected the battery”.
Witnesses from Tuanai village say an empty bottle of Rover vodka was seen inside the pajero and the driver smelt of alcohol.
“The driver looked like he was between 30 to 35. He was barely able to stand up, and there was a lot of blood coming from injuries to his head and face. The passenger in the front seat was a younger man, maybe 25 to 30, but he was unconscious”.
Villagers who were first on the site said the seriously injured male in the passenger seat was bent over in the car and his seat belt was not on. “We carried him out and lay him on his side to wait for FESA”.
A young boy was found sitting in the back seat with his seatbelt still firmly fastened.
“We released his seat belt and he was able to walk out of the vehicle. We asked him if he had any injuries and he said, no, he was ok”.
Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) first responders took the two men and the boy to the hospital. The front seat passenger was still unconscious when they left the accident site.
Commissioner Tanuvasa Petone Mauga said FESA first responders responded to the accident and treated the two injured men. All three passengers from the pajero were taken to Motootua National Hospital’s Emergency department on Saturday night.
Police have been contacted for an update report on the injured.
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