The Moa families gathered hand in hand, arm in arm for the first time to brave the fact that 4 of their own children died on Monday 11th after a SUV they traveled on crashed on Highway 58, 10 miles East of Mojave in Oakland, USA
Mele Percival, the real aunty of the victims in a message from USA told Kaniva News that the fathers of the children are two brothers, Moa and Kapiolani Moa and they are sons of Sio and Malia Moa from Houma, Tongatapu, Tonga Island but brought up in California.
Daughter Malia Moa (17) , Son David Moa Jr (19), Daughter Rachel Fisiiahi (20) are children of Moa. George Moa (19) is a son of Kapiolani and they all died at the scene, according to the Kern County coroner’s office.
Mele said that the children have been to a football match and the accident happened on their way back home.
The bakersfieldnow.com report stated that, “A Kern County firefighter told Eyewitness News that the SUV’s wreckage ended up in the highway’s center divider. Fire Engineer Corey Wilford said no other vehicles were involved. Three of the vehicle’s occupants were ejected.
“California City police on Tuesday said the occupants were from Stockton, and the survivor was a 17-year-old boy.
Police said the SUV was reported to be traveling close to 90 mph before it drifted onto the dirt center divider and rolled several times, according to witness statements.”
A cousin Moana Fakava Kioa from Tonga wrote on Face Book to express her familyʻs deep condolence saying, “My eyes filled up with tears as I heard the death of 4 of my cousins in US *Siaosi, Moa leka, Malia leka & Rachel Moa* It never occurred to me, how much I could lose,…….. I find myself wishing that it wasn’t real. To my uncle Kapiolani and Moa lahi, our prayers are with you and the family at this very moment… …mom is grieving @ home with Paea and rest of the fam in Tonga wishing to let you know that you’re all in our prayers at this very difficult times…….to Mele Percival, Lata Eteaki, Taufa & Noma bear in mind that they’re only gone on ahead of us, not just left us behind. Although we can’t be with them right now, they live on in our hearts and minds. I cannot even begin to imagine what you’re going through and how difficult all this must be for all of u; may God’s grace comfort u all in this difficult time# mayyourestin God’s Peace Siaosi, Moa leka, Malia leka & Rachel Moa# with Maleta Moa Padgett, Katalina Perkins, Vila Fakava, Valu Fa, Lesieli K Moa, Tone Moa, Gabee Moa, …..’ofa lahi atu ‘Onetale Fakava & fanau mei Houma Tongatapu.
The victims were well known to the Tongan communities in Stockton by their music talent and in a tweet that tweeted by Valufa (84th) twitter account on the 9th of January it said that, “we are a teenage band originated in Oakland, Ca all raised on 84th St and ever since then we became a family band.”
The band was named Valufā, Tongan for 84.