A tragic Mother’s Day for Aele family

By Ilia L. Likou 17 May 2017, 12:00AM

Mother’s Day weekend was not a time to celebrate for a family at Aele.

Instead, they spent it mourning the loss of a precious life taken as a result of a hit and run incident where alcohol is suspected to have been a factor.

Popese Sipuni, 28, was sitting with a friend on the side of the road when he was struck by a "speeding" vehicle.

An attempt to get a comment from the Police was unsuccessful yesterday. 

But a family member related the chain of events leading up to the incident.

She told the Samoa Observer that Mr. Sipuni and his friend were sitting at the side of the road when the rental car ran him over.

“His friend had a lucky escape but Popese did not,” she said.

“He was hit and was taken to the hospital but he died upon arrival at the hospital.”

The family member said alcohol was involved.

“The driver of the vehicle was really drunk and so were his other two friends.”

A senior official at the National Health Services told the Samoa Observer that Mr. Sipuni died from serious head and chest injuries.

“What we’ve heard is that he was killed in a hit and run by a suspected drunk driver on Sunday morning,” the official said.

“The suspect has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving while under the influence of alcohol.”

By Ilia L. Likou 17 May 2017, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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