WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — Some people just have that energy—they're quiet, but their presence is speaks volumes. That's the kind of person Maleini Tanaki says her brother-in-law 26-year-old Finau Malekamu was.
"He was very selfless; he was always the first to serve someone and the last person to eat," Tanaki said.
Malekamu, his wife, and their young children moved from Utah to California less than a year ago. Their ultimate goal was to come back to Utah to buy a house and raise their family.
But on the night of May 3rd, Malekamu died after he was hit by a suspected drunk driver while on a work break in Fremont, California.
"They made a super wide right turn, climbed the median and was going towards them. Finau saw it and said, 'Oh shoot, a car' to his co-workers," Tanaki said.
"He managed to push one out of the way, he just didn't have enough time to get out of the way himself."
Fremont Police say the driver was later arrested for vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage causing injury. The crash is still under investigation.
Tanaki says Malekamu's actions in the last moments of his life are the ultimate example of his selflessness.
"I could only imagine that's the only thing that came to mind for him to do in a situation like that," Tanaki said.
As Malekamu's family works to try and get his wife and kids back to Utah so they can be surrounded with the needed love and care, they join many other families in reminding people about the dangers of drunk driving.
"There are Ubers, Lyfts, so many other options that you can do to help avoid other situations like this," Tanaki said.
"He was just such a loving person and I'm really grateful my sister had someone like him in her life."
A GoFundMe account has been set up for Malekamu's family.
