Posted on: Sunday, August 19, 2001

Speeding blamed in H-1 fatality

By Jessica Webster
Advertiser Staff Writer

Another young man is dead after a night of high-speed driving on the H-1 Freeway.

The 22-year-old Pearl City resident was killed Friday night after crashing his car on the freeway near the Kapolei Theaters.

His death follows a handful of other high-speed traffic fatalities this summer, including two this month on Kamehameha Highway.

Police said the driver was speeding onto an eastbound lane of the H-1 Freeway from the Campbell Industrial Park access ramp. He was weaving in and out of traffic, according to police, when he lost control of his 1992 Honda Civic sedan, which went up the right-shoulder embankment and struck a light pole.

The car flipped at least twice. Police said the driver, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected.

Both the driver and his passenger, a 19-year-old man from 'Ewa Beach, were taken to St. Francis Medical Center-West.

The driver was later taken to the Queen's Medical Center, where he died shortly after 1 a.m.

The passenger was listed in fair condition.

Police have not determined whether drugs or alcohol were involved in the accident.

The driver's death was O'ahu's 51st traffic fatality this year, compared with 42 at the same time last year.