Tongan Princess Siu'ilikutapu talks during a news conference at the Tongan royal estate in Hillsborough, Calif., Friday, July 14, 2006. At stake is the loyalty of young, college-educated voters who are a critical part of the Democratic . You cannot paste images directly. ** Mandatory credit for photographer and the San Francisco Chronicle/ -Mags out, Authorities investigate the scene of a fatal vehicle wreck, Wednesday, July 5, 2006, on U.S. Highway 101 in Menlo Park, Calif. Two royal family members from the South Pacific island nation of Tonga were killed when a teenager racing her car crashed into their sport utility vehicle, authorities said. 56,514 people are reading stories on the site right now. They say Ford knew the Explorer was prone to rollovers. Her middle name is her grandmother's name, Her Late Majesty Queen Mother Halaevalu Mata'aho. Two members of Tonga's royal family have been killed in a car crash during a visit to the United States. Photo taken on 7/6/06, in San Bruno, CA. [2], King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipauu were crowned in a ceremony conducted at Centenary Church in Nukualofa on 4 July 2015 by the Reverend D'Arcy Wood, a retired Uniting Church in Australia minister who was born in Tonga. A Tongan prince and princess have been killed in a car crash in San Francisco, local media have reported. Ironically, it was American-style delinquency that appears to have brought the lives of the Tongan royals to an unceremonious end, compounding the communitys grief. Please try again later. Princess Ltfuipeka Tukuaho - Wikipedia Read about our approach to external linking. Delgado could have been sentenced to a maximum of three years in county jail for the July 5, 2006, deaths of Tongan Prince Tu'ipelehake, 55, his wife, Princess Kaimana Aleamotu'a Tuku'aho, 46, and their driver, East Palo Alto resident Vinisia Hefa, 36. The prince is the nephew of ailing King Taufaahau Tupou IV, who has been honored at Ahios church in the past during regular visits to Stanford Medical Center. The accident happened on Wednesday in Menlo Park, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of San Francisco. 6,183 followers. She had faced a maximum of three years after being convicted in June of misdemeanor manslaughter and acquitted of more serious felony charges. The prince was also a leading proponent of political reform in Tonga, a group of small islands about 3,000 miles southwest of Hawaii. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Tuipelehake, a nephew of 88-year-old King Taufaahau Tupou IV, was the leading reformist in the royal family. The panel acquitted her of felony charges that could have sent her to state prison for as long as eight years. I dont think it serves anyones interest for this 19-year-old girl to spend more time in jail, he said. I hope they convict her ass of reckless homicide and send her ass to Soledad for life. Tongan King Tupou IV dies at 88 King Taufa'ahau had been suffering from an unspecified illness The people of Tonga have been plunged into mourning following the death of 88-year-old King. Also killed was the Tongan King's nephew, Prince Tu'ipelehake. BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Tongan royals killed in car crash Delgados car slammed into the drivers side of the Explorer, causing it to swerve across several lanes before tumbling to a stop on its roof, Franklin said. Fitzgerald argued that Delgado should be sentenced to 21/2 years. He's written extensively about San Francisco hosting the America's Cup, the city losing its professional football team to a new stadium in Santa Clara, and efforts to build a new arena in San Francisco for the Golden State Warriors. We accept death, Ahio said, but at the same time the way death came to the royal family, it is very sad to us.. Vinisia Hefa, 36, of East Palo Alto, who was driving the red Ford Explorer carrying the prince and princess, also was killed, the California Highway Patrol said. Historically, one of the most loved and admired members of the Tongan Royal Family was Queen Salote. Tonga volcano eruption: Satellite images emerge of islands covered in Delgado, who was not injured, was jailed on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and engaging in a speed contest. Legal Statement. She left the newsroom in 2015. This page was last edited on 30 December 2022, at 02:57. Marisa Lagos covers politics for The San Francisco Chronicle, focusing on San Francisco City Hall and its Board of Supervisors. Tu'ipelehake, considered a political reformer and free-speech advocate, was visiting areas with large Tongan expatriate populations to gather public opinion on how to improve citizen input in the political system, said Mahu'inga and Fatai Pale, a Tongan government official traveling with the prince. It cuts to the heart of the Tongan community.. 7, 2006. Dismiss It also means "south." According to the most recent archaeological findings, people arrived in the archipelago from Fiji around 1500 B.C.E. Consul General Tevita Otulau-o-Lakepa Kolokihakaufisi could not be reached for comment. Tongan prince, princess die in Bay Area crash - East Bay Times John Cot has worked at The San Francisco Chronicle as a reporter since 2006, covering criminal and civil trials, breaking news and other topics on the Peninsula before joining the San Francisco City Hall team in 2008. Delgado, who was not injured, was jailed on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and engaging in a speed contest, Franklin said. In 1969, Princess Mele Siu'ilikutapu, a 21-year-old Auckland University student secretly married Tongan commoner and. L.A. Affairs: My divorce isnt contagious. The San Bruno church, led by the Rev. Read about our approach to external linking. Police said Edith Delgado, 18, was racing her car on the highway when she tried to overtake the sports utility vehicle carrying the royal couple. Tonga's royal family has denied allegations they were involved in covering up the murder of an Australian horse trainer. Tongan prince and princess killed in car crash - NZ Herald Delgado's attorney, Randy Moore, was displeased. John Cot has worked at The San Francisco Chronicle as a reporter since 2006, covering criminal and civil trials, breaking news and other topics on the Peninsula before joining the San Francisco City Hall team in 2008. A Redwood City woman convicted of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter in the 2006 crash deaths of two Tongan royal family members and their driver woke up in a jail cell Thursday morning.. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Prince Tu'ipelehake, hailed as the "People's Prince" for his political reform efforts, was visiting Tongan expatriates to gauge public opinion on the nation's political system when he was killed. The lad was nurtured by Chief Finau in Lifuka for four . Prince Tu'ipelehake, 55, and Princess Kaimana, 46, were killed Wednesday in the Bay Area's Menlo Park when a teenager racing her car crashed into the Ford Explorer in which they were riding,. Posts Tagged. 6,183 Followers, 159 Following, 1,402 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from @tongan_royal_family. A large contingent of family members, friends and government officials traveled from Tonga to Redwood City to assist with the identification of the victims, Foucrault said. Two Members of Tonga Royal Family Killed in California Wreck Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO - Two members of Tonga 's royal family were killed when a teenager racing her car crashed into. Funeral plans for Tongan royal couple released - NZ Herald [7] He started his career in the military, joining the naval arm of the Tonga Defence Services in 1982 and becoming a Lieutenant-Commander in 1987. [2] He served as Tonga's High Commissioner to Australia, and resided in Canberra[3][4] until the death of King George Tupou V on 18 March 2012, when Ahoeitu Unuakiotonga Tukuaho became King of Tonga, with the regnal name Tupou VI. Police are still searching for a black Cadillac Escalade with spinner-style rims that may have been involved in the collision and exited the freeway at Marsh Road, Franklin said. Tonga's drug crisis: Why a tiny Pacific island is struggling with a He was a good leader because he took the voice of the people all the way to the House of Parliament and carried it all the way to the king.. Its a cultural thing, Foucrault said. Death, Love and Conspiracy: The Nepalese Royal Massacre of 2001 (Durbar Prince Tu'ipelehake, 56, Princess Kaimana, 46, and their driver, Vinisia Hefa, 36, were all killed. (AP Photo/Jakub Mosur), THREEDEAD_042_RAD.jpg He served as Tonga's High Commissioner to Australia, and . . Over the years, police have considered various theories for his murder, including a possible race-fixing dispute and the poor performance of his horses. The case, which rocked the industry, has never been solved. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? AP News Summary at 11:21 p.m. EST. "I respect the judge, but I don't like the sentence," Moore said outside the courthouse. "He is one prince that is known to be liked and loved, and who would mingle with commoners but at the same time would have honest respect for the kingship.". Once again some jerk driver thinks they are in the movie "fast and furious" and thay cant even pass without hitting someone. Now the last monarchy in the Pacific, Tonga has been a Polynesian kingdom and a protectorate of Britain, from which it acquired independence in 1970. Tonga's royal family has denied an allegation that the late King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV was involved in covering up the murder of Australian horse trainer George Brown almost four decades ago..