*The assumption by everyone on the road was clear: a life was in danger, so give way. Except it wasn’t. Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu has revealed the truth: the driver on 19 February 2025 was using a life-saving vehicle to jump traffic. In short, he treated a sacred trust like a taxi shortcut. This was the second time that the same ambulance had been booked for using the siren and flashing lights when it was not an emergency. But what about the figure stretched out in the back, motionless like a patient on the brink? Turns out it wasn’t a casualty at all, but the driver’s own relative, obligingly playing the part of a dying swan. Let’s call him Sleeping Beauty—a passenger turned prop in a roadside theatre.
*Both the ambulance driver and his relative passenger-a 'dying swan'-should have found themselves answering not just to public outrage but to the law.
*Both the ambulance driver and his relative passenger-a 'dying swan'-should have found themselves answering not just to public outrage but to the law.
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| From Grave Robbers to Fake Patients: Fiji’s Strangest Police Rounds As a young reporter on the original Fiji Sun in the 1980s, I stumbled across more than my share of weird and wonderful incidents, especially on weekend police rounds—the early morning CID briefings at Suva Police Station were a goldmine. We knew in advance who was appearing in court on Monday morning, and for what crimes, from drunk revellers to the white-collar criminals. We made sure we were up early and in court. One of the most bizarre involved a gang of so-called robbers locked up for digging up the freshly buried grave of a well-known English-born physician who, according to their tale, had failed to pay them for certain “services rendered". The police spokesman that morning nearly tied himself in knots trying to explain what on earth the suspects meant. |   |
That sort of gallows humour was part of newsroom life. But fast forward to 19 February 2025, and the antics of an ambulance driver and his so-called “Sleeping Beauty” passenger at 9 miles in Nasinu are no laughing matters. When an ambulance flips on its siren and flashing lights, every driver on the road knows it could mean the difference between life and death. To fake it is not just bizarre—it’s dangerous.
A police officer stopped an ambulance after it suddenly flicked on its siren and flashing lights at a busy junction. The assumption by everyone on the road was clear: a life was in danger, so give way. Except it wasn’t. Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu later revealed the truth: no medical staff were on board, no emergency existed, and the same ambulance had already been booked before for misusing sirens. The driver was using a life-saving vehicle to jump traffic. In short, he treated a sacred trust like a taxi shortcut.
Enter “Sleeping Beauty" - Stretched Out in the Back
But what about the figure stretched out in the back, motionless like a patient on the brink? Turns out it wasn’t a casualty at all, but the driver’s own relative, obligingly playing the part of a dying swan. Let’s call him Sleeping Beauty—a passenger turned prop in a roadside theatre. By pretending to be a patient, he wasn’t just along for the ride; he was helping the charade, lending credibility to the fake emergency.
A police officer stopped an ambulance after it suddenly flicked on its siren and flashing lights at a busy junction. The assumption by everyone on the road was clear: a life was in danger, so give way. Except it wasn’t. Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu later revealed the truth: no medical staff were on board, no emergency existed, and the same ambulance had already been booked before for misusing sirens. The driver was using a life-saving vehicle to jump traffic. In short, he treated a sacred trust like a taxi shortcut.
Enter “Sleeping Beauty" - Stretched Out in the Back
But what about the figure stretched out in the back, motionless like a patient on the brink? Turns out it wasn’t a casualty at all, but the driver’s own relative, obligingly playing the part of a dying swan. Let’s call him Sleeping Beauty—a passenger turned prop in a roadside theatre. By pretending to be a patient, he wasn’t just along for the ride; he was helping the charade, lending credibility to the fake emergency.
- Sleeping Beauty in the Backseat: Can a Fake Patient End Up in the Dock?
Background
An ambulance at 9 Miles was stopped by police amid claims it was rushing a patient to hospital. The drama deepened when Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu revealed the truth: the “patient” lying in the back was no medical emergency at all, but the driver’s relative, picked up from home. No medical staff were present, and this was the second offence by the same ambulance for misusing sirens.
This begs a deliciously awkward question: can a passenger playing possum face the law? The passenger wasn’t just a passive traveller. By lying in the back and allowing the pretense of an emergency, he effectively assisted the driver’s unlawful use of sirens. He should have been charged.
Far from being an innocent “motionless victim,” he was the co-star in a roadside pantomime that endangered public safety, wasted police time, and undermined trust in emergency services. The driver was the lead actor, but the passenger played a willing supporting role.
And in law, supporting actors can earn starring roles in court. The law does not reward “fake fainting” in ambulances. If you want to lie down in traffic, better to book a yoga class than a criminal defence lawyer.
The Driver’s Deception
Ambulances with sirens aren’t theatre props. They mean someone’s life is on the line. Abuse that trust and motorists may hesitate next time, wondering whether they’re clearing the road for tragedy or tomfoolery.
The Legal Reckoning
Both, the driver and his passenger should have faced the law:
When the video first surfaced of a police officer stopping an ambulance at 9 Miles, outrage was instant. The footage appeared to show a motionless “patient” in the back while the driver argued that he was rushing to hospital. Social media buzzed with accusations that police had heartlessly delayed an emergency.
But the truth, as Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu has now clarified, is far more troubling—and not for the officer. The so-called ambulance was not carrying medical personnel, nor was it engaged in any registered emergency. The “patient” sprawled in the back was not a casualty at all but the driver’s own relative, collected from home and transported under the false cloak of urgency.
This is not a misunderstanding. It is a serious abuse of public trust. Ambulances exist to save lives. Every time a driver flicks on the siren and flashing lights, other motorists yield, pedestrians scatter, and police direct traffic—all on the assumption that seconds matter.
To fake that urgency is to cry wolf in the most dangerous way. What if, at that exact moment, another ambulance with a genuine cardiac arrest case (maybe the patient was former Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum) had been delayed by this charade?
Ambulances with sirens aren’t theatre props. They mean someone’s life is on the line. Abuse that trust and motorists may hesitate next time, wondering whether they’re clearing the road for tragedy or tomfoolery.
The Legal Reckoning
Both, the driver and his passenger should have faced the law:
- Driver – misuse of sirens (Land Transport Act), dangerous driving, abuse of office, dishonest advantage, obstruction of police.
- Passenger – aiding and abetting, obtaining dishonest advantage, obstruction, even conspiracy if proven–faster transport through deception.
When the video first surfaced of a police officer stopping an ambulance at 9 Miles, outrage was instant. The footage appeared to show a motionless “patient” in the back while the driver argued that he was rushing to hospital. Social media buzzed with accusations that police had heartlessly delayed an emergency.
But the truth, as Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu has now clarified, is far more troubling—and not for the officer. The so-called ambulance was not carrying medical personnel, nor was it engaged in any registered emergency. The “patient” sprawled in the back was not a casualty at all but the driver’s own relative, collected from home and transported under the false cloak of urgency.
This is not a misunderstanding. It is a serious abuse of public trust. Ambulances exist to save lives. Every time a driver flicks on the siren and flashing lights, other motorists yield, pedestrians scatter, and police direct traffic—all on the assumption that seconds matter.
To fake that urgency is to cry wolf in the most dangerous way. What if, at that exact moment, another ambulance with a genuine cardiac arrest case (maybe the patient was former Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum) had been delayed by this charade?
Grave-diggers in the 1980s raised eyebrows, but at least they endangered no one. This driver and his Sleeping Beauty did. Fake emergencies are not just foolish—they’re criminal.
And the only siren they deserved was the one that took them straight to the court.
And the only siren they deserved was the one that took them straight to the court.
