Updated at 11:16 a.m., Wednesday, June 20, 2001

Jump snarls H-1 traffic

By Mike Gordon
Advertiser Staff Writer

Police closed lanes in both directions on the H-1 Freeway near the Liliha Access Road overpass. Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser

A 54-year-old man jumped from an overpass onto the H-1 Freeway this morning, forcing police to close portions of the freeway near downtown and snarling mid-morning traffic for nearly an hour.

The man, whose name was not released, was in critical condition when he was taken by ambulance to Queen's Medical Center with head injuries and fractured ribs.

He jumped from the Liliha Street overpass about 8:45 a.m. and landed on the far-left lane on the Koko Head-bound side of the freeway.

The tail end of rush-hour traffic was slowed in both directions as police cars, three fire engines and a rescue unit converged on the scene, prompting the closure of two lanes.

Police also closed a lane on the 'ewa-bound side to allow access for firefighters.

Gawkers slowed traffic on both sides of the freeway. Lanes were reopened by 9:30 a.m., but residual backups and overflow on surface streets kept traffic slugglish through the morning.

Traffic backed up as far as the Wilder Avenue offramp.

It was the second closure of the H-1 Freeway in three days. On Monday a fatal accident before the morning rush hour forced closure of the 'ewa-bound lanes through Makiki for about two hours.