Nu'uanu accident lands man in hospital

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

A spectacular traffic accident in Nu'uanu last night sent one man to the hospital, but police said it could have been a lot worse.

An Isuzu Rodeo rammed through a fence on School Street, rolled down a 63-foot embankment and landed on its roof in the middle lane of the H-1 Freeway.

The accident occurred about 7:40 p.m. when many cars were traveling in the west-bound direction of the freeway.

The driver, described as a man in his mid-30s, was pulled from his car by Honolulu Fire Department rescue crews and taken to the Queen's Medical Center. His condition was not available last night, but police said the man did not suffer critical injuries.

Police said the fact that no one else was injured is nothing short of a miracle.

One driver in the right lane of the H-1 swerved to avoid the Isuzu and his car sustained minor damage. All other drivers managed to avoid the tumbling vehicle.

The driver of the Isuzu told police that he was heading west on School Street but couldn't remember the accident and didn't recall plowing through the chain-link fence about 50 feet past Nu'uanu Avenue.

Police closed all but the left lane of traffic on the H-1 for more than an hour after the crash. Police said alcohol may have been a factor in the accident.