Memorial service in American Samoa for StarKist employees

SOURCE: RNZI

There was a huge turn out in American Samoa at the memorial service for the four StarKist employees killed in a tragic accident in front of the cannery plant.

The Lee Auditorium was packed on Monday afternoon with and cannery management, government and church officials relatives and members of the public who came to pay their respects for the victims.

Large sized portraits of Taumaoe Filipo, Ierome Vili, Faasaulala Ahoni, and Alatina Faleasi, were on the stage separated by huge wreaths with their names.

Reverend Elder Ioane Evagelia of the Utulei Congregational Christian Church of American Samoa led the service and hymns were sung by StarKist employees.

Pastors from the churches where the four men worshipped delivered prayers and read the Bible.

StarKist Samoa Personnel Manager Molly Schuster gave an employment history of each of the victims.

Taumaoe Filipo had been with the company for 26 years, and Faasaulala Ahoni was a ten year employee.

Ierome Vili was formerly with Samoa Tuna Processors (STP) beginning in 2018 and then transferred to safety and health when STP closed down.

The youngest of the men, Alatina Faleasi had been with the cannery for three years starting as a labourer cleaner and transferring to the logistics department.

The wives of Mr Filipo and Mr Vili gave moving and uplifting eulogies of their husbands, while a cousin of Ahoni and an aunt of Faleasi spoke about them.

Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga conveyed condolences to the grieving families and to the StarKist family.

A message of condolence from StarKist President and Ceo Andrew Choe to the families was on the funeral program.

"Along with their families and our community at StarKist Samoa we will always remember these honourable men who loved their families and their work at StarKist Samoa. Together with their immediate families and firmed, we grieve their great loss.

"It has been said before that at StarKist Samoa we are family. At a time like this, we must be strong for each other to help us get through such a tragedy. And despite this tragedy we will continue to come together as a family and as a community to grieve and support those hurting from this loss."

The accident

Information gathered by KHJ News from cannery employees, police and others who were at the scene during the incident last week said that police were pursuing a vehicle with a male driver and female passenger that was speeding and overtaking vehicles on the highway.

A car from the cannery was driving onto the main road when the speeding vehicle crashed into it.

Two men in that vehicle died at the scene.

Another cannery worker, who had just picked up his cases of tuna, Christmas gifts from StarKist, was struck by the speeding vehicle as he stepped out of the cannery gate.

Also killed was a security guard at the gate.

Several other employees were injured and taken to the hospital.

The driver of the speeding car was drunk and his female passenger, said to be his girlfriend, were rushed to the hospital.