Posted at 10:45 a.m., Thursday, August 2, 2001

Teen was 2nd to die as officer pursued

Advertiser staff and News Services

The O'ahu teenager who died yesterday in a crash near Waikele shopping center was being pursued by a Honolulu police officer who also was involved in a fatal police chase last month.

Police Sgt. David Hernandez has been put on administrative leave while the accident is investigated.

The teenager was killed early yesterday when the stolen car he was driving was pursued by Hernandez and another officer near the Wai-

kele shopping center, said police chief Lee Donohue.

Police today were not releasing the name of the dead teenager.

On July 4, Hernandez was chasing a 58-year-old man speeding on Old Farrington Highway when the driver lost control of his vehicle and crashed near 'Ewa. He died a short time later.

Proper police procedures were followed in both cases, Donohue said.

In yesterday's accident, the teen was thrown from the car when it hit a light pole and traffic signal pole on Lumiaina Street, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A woman reported at about midnight that her car had been stolen from outside her Waipio town house. Hernandez saw the car on Kamehameha Highway about five minutes later, police said.

Police said the car was speeding when it crashed.

They said the officers used sirens and lights in the chase.

Last Friday U.S. District Judge David Ezra ruled against Hernandez, who claimed the police department had violated his constitutional right to free speech.

Ezra said Hernandez failed to produce evidence his rights were violated when police department officials blocked him from testifying on behalf of the department at the Legislature.