A car accident claimed the life of a 51-year-old woman from Nukunuku, on 27 December. It was the tenth road fatality recorded in Tonga for 2025.
it was the only road fatality recorded by Tonga Police during their Christmas operation which ran from 19 December 2025 to 5 January 2026.
Deputy Police Commissioner Halatoa Taufa told Matangi Tonga that the accident occurred around 1:27 am, on 27 December 2025, on Hihifo Road in Nukunuku.
The deceased was a passenger in a vehicle driven by her husband (21). The alleged cause of the accident was reckless driving.
The husband has been charged with reckless driving causing death and will appear in court at a later date.
Traffic safety
Deputy Commissioner Taufa, said 406 police officers were deployed across Tongatapu, Vava'u, and Ha'apai for the holiday operation.
A total of 1,295 traffic offences were recorded, mostly for speeding, failure to wear seatbelts, and registration and licensing issues.
Despite these figures, Deputy Commissioner Taufa highlighted a significant improvement in public behavior, particularly regarding drunk driving. “There were very few instances of driving under the influence. Drunk driving did not rank among the top five traffic offences, which is a major improvement from the public compared to previous years," he said.
