Fiancee devastated as partner dies overseas
The fiancee of one of the four Samoan men killed when their car crashed into a tree in regional Victoria has shared a heartbreaking detail about his death.
David Gasologa, Aperaamo “Amo” Tapelu Filemu Aleka, Alesana Anetelea and Darrick Amouta Peleti were driving home from a friends house near Mansfield on Sunday when their rental car veered off the road and crashed into a tree, bursting into flames.
Emergency services discovered the four passengers dead inside the burnt out car on Mansfield-Woods Point Road about 7am.
Mr Gasologa’s soon-to-be wife Vaelei A Von Dincklage said they had been planning a church wedding for when he returned home to Samoa after completing seasonal work on the vegetable farm.
“I feel so guilty with what has happened to him,” she told the NCA NewsWire.
“I am one of the reasons why he fought so hard to come to the seasonal worker schemes, he wanted to make sure that our future would be financially stable,” she said.
She described him as an incredible partner, who always put her needs before his own and was working hard to build their life together.
“I was everything to David,” she told NCA NewsWire.
“He never wants me to stay mad at him for anything, he would always put my needs before his.”
Flavorite – the company that owns the Murphy Fresh farm where the four men were working – issued a statement on Monday afternoon saying they were “deeply saddened” by the incident.
“Our main focus is providing support to our employees, their families and friends who may be impacted by this tragedy,” a spokesperson said.
“We have a grievance counsellor at our Mansfield site and we will continue to support the investigation as required in the coming days and weeks.”
The company has assisted the Samoan consulate and police following the crash.
Tributes flood social media for four men
Loved ones flooded social media with devastated tributes to the four men who had been living together in a Mansfield share house while working on the vegetable farm for the season.
Mr Gasologa’s sister remembered him as the centre of his family’s world.
“He breaks a circle of nine siblings,” she said.
“He was quite humble and he was everyone’s favourite.
“He’s dearly missed.”
Mr Aleka’s cousin Enna Mavaega Faimasasa remembered him as a “one of the kind heart person with a humble soul”.
In Samoan, another friend wrote: “Peace be upon you brother. Rest in peace brother Amo. Peace be upon you. You are gone. I will miss you. I will miss your humour. May your journey be blessed.”
The quadruple fatality follows last Sunday’s tragedy in Daylesford in which five people – including two children – were killed and brings the Victorian road toll to 256.
