Posted on: Tuesday, July 17, 2001

Council member Okino hit by bicycle

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

City Council member Gary Okino said he never saw it coming.

The first-term council member said he was jogging on the Pearl Harbor bike path near Lehua Elementary School in Pearl City Saturday afternoon when he was run down from behind by a bicyclist. Okino suffered a broken collar bone and scrapes and bruises.

The path runs from the Arizona Memorial to Waipahu Depot Road and accommodates joggers, walkers and bicyclists. Okino, a former city planner who represents 'Aiea, Pearl City and Halawa, said he jogs on the path at least once a week.

"He hit me from the back so I didn't even know he was coming," Okino said. "He just knocked me over. I don't know how he ever did that."

Okino said the collision knocked the rider off of his bicycle. But Okino said the rider didn't bother to ask if Okino was OK.

"When I finally pulled myself together, I looked up and he was riding away. It was a young guy. All I got was a look at his back from kind of far away," Okino said.

Although he was dazed and injured, Okino walked to his car and drove to the Pali Momi Medical Center emergency room. He also filed a police report.

Okino said he doesn't believe that the bicyclist deliberately ran him over. "I just think he wasn't paying attention."

The council member said yesterday that he is in quite a bit of pain and likely will recuperate at home for a couple of days.

"I guess I was lucky just to get out of it with a broken collar bone," Okino said.

You can reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8025.