Man dies after sedan hits police car

By Walter Wright
Advertiser Staff Writer

An unidentified man was killed early yesterday morning when his car smashed into a police car parked with flashing blue lights in a turn lane on Dillingham Boulevard southeast of Kokea Street, police said.

The officer whose car was hit was not in the vehicle at the time. He was helping other officers respond to an unrelated assault case.

Officials had not had been able to identify the man by last night. He was described as probably between 40 and 50 years old.

Police said the man was driving a 1990 gray Mazda sedan southeast on Dillingham at about 4:30 a.m. when he crossed into the center turn lane and hit a blue 2000 Toyota 4Runner police car owned by a police officer.

The man, in critical condition, was taken to the Queen's Medical Center where he died. Investigators said it was not known if speed or alcohol were factors in the collision, or whether the driver was wearing a seat belt.

It was the 26th traffic fatality of 2001, compared with 20 by the same date last year, police said.