Man dies in car crash along Pali Highway

By Walter Wright
Advertiser Staff Writer

A man was killed early yesterday when he crashed into a large tree off the Pali Highway.

Police said the man was alive and pinned in the car for some time before other motorists saw the wreck. He had a pulse when first found at 5:30 a.m., but died at the scene before police arrived a few minutes later, Sgt. John Agno said.

Agno said no identification was found on the man, and his identity was not immediately known. He appeared to be in his mid-30s to mid-40s.

He was driving a tan 1993 four-door Jeep Cherokee registered to a Honolulu area resident, but the connection between the driver and the owner of the car had not been established.

The car was traveling Kailua-bound on the Pali Highway when it left the pavement and crashed head-on into a tree, about a tenth of a mile past the intersection of Nu'uanu Pali Drive.

The force of the crash collapsed the front end of the vehicle in a U shape, and the extent of the damage indicated it may have been traveling at or near the 45 mph speed limit, Agno said.

"The driver may have fallen asleep, or may have had trouble with the vehicle, or may have been forced off the road," he said. There were no skid marks found at the scene, indicating that the car did not brake before hitting the tree.

Agno said another officer heading town-bound on the highway at about 5 a.m. did not see the vehicle, but may have missed it in the dark if the crash had already occurred.

The driver was initially reported to be in critical condition, but died at the scene a short time later before being extricated from the vehicle, Agno said. The man was not wearing a seat belt.

"If there were witnesses, we would ask them to call our Traffic Division at 529-3499, and ask for myself or Officer Bush," Agno said.

The traffic fatality was the 73rd on O'ahu this year, compared with 62 by this time last year.

Reach Walter Wright at wwright@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8054.