A left hand drive armoured vehicle belonging to the United States Embassy in Samoa was destroyed by the Samoa Fire Department in preparation for the switch to right hand drive vehicles.
The Talamua online news service says the vehicle was destroyed a week before the visit of the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The US Chargé d'Affaires, Robin Yeager, is quoted as saying that the vehicle, which was the only armoured transport in Samoa, had to be reported back to Washington as being destroyed.
Special issue US government vehicles cannot be donated or sold.
Mr Yeager would not say if the embassy was replacing the decommissioned vehicle with a right hand drive car
