Another deadly weekend on Oʻahu’s roadways takes 3 lives

HONOLULU (KHON2) — As the number of traffic fatalities continues to mount, residents are asking the leaders of Honolulu what is being done about reckless drivers and habitual offenders.

On Saturday, April 29 and Sunday, April 30, three traffic incidents occurred that ended in death.

The first of these two incidents took place at 11:45 p.m. on Saturday.

According to the Honolulu Police Department, a fatal motor vehicle collision took place on Nimitz Highway in the Kalihi area.

It was reported by HPD’s Traffic Division, Vehicular Homicide Section that a 70-year-old male pedestrian was crossing via the motorway’s crosswalk area.

This is when a 59-year-old male motorist who was traveling westbound onto Nimitz Highway collided with the pedestrian.

According to HPD, the “70-year-old male pedestrian was… walking against the ‘Don’t Walk Sign.'”

Honolulu Emergency Medical Services said that they responded to the 911 call at around 11:50 p.m.

They said that when they arrived on the scene, the pedestrian was pronounced dead.

The second incident was at 1:30 a.m. on Sunday on Kapolei Parkway in the Kapolei area.

This crash was a fatal single motorcycle collision.

HPD Traffic Division, Vehicular Homicide Section reported that a 35-year-old adult male motorcyclist was traveling westbound on Kapolei Parkway.

The motorcyclist, for unknown reasons, lost control of the motorcycle and was ejected onto the median.

According to HPD, the 35-year-old adult male motorcyclist was transported by Honolulu Emergency Medical Services to a local area hospital in critical condition due to the crash.

They said that the motorcyclist succumbed to his injuries once at the hospital.

HPD indicated that the motorcyclist was wearing his helmet at the time of the collision.

The third fatality was a fatal single motorcycle collision that occurred in the Ewa Beach area around 9 a.m.

HPD’s Traffic Division, Vehicular Homicide Section reported that a 26-year-old adult male was traveling southbound on Kunia Road on a motorcycle.

While driving, he took the Kunia off-ramp that leads to Farrington Highway westbound. 

Honolulu Emergency Medical Services had reported that the 26-year-old male motorcyclist is in critical condition after a motor vehicle incident.

EMS reported that the incident was a single-vehicle collision that involved the motorcycle hitting “an immovable object.”

EMS transported the 26-year-old motorcyclist to a local area hospital in critical condition. According to HPD, the motorcyclist succumbed to his injuries once he arrived at the hospital.

The Honolulu Emergency Services Department Director Dr. James Ireland said the number of deadly crashes is a concerning trend.

Ireland said, “One fatality is way too many, and they are all so sad. And each person has a friend and a family and people who love them so each one is its own tragedy and again having six more than this time last year is just really an alarming statistic.”

HPD announced it would set up impaired driver checkpoints at unannounced locations and times throughout the island starting in May. HPD said this is part of its ongoing efforts to reduce traffic injuries and deaths.

HPD said that at this time in 2022, Oʻahu had experienced its 18th traffic fatality.

In both cases, HPD said they are investigating the collisions.