Police Beat
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Collision kills Big Island driver
WAIMEA, Hawai'i — A South Kohala man died after his 1992 Toyota Tercel collided head-on with a pickup truck Thursday night at the White Road Intersection near the 54-mile marker on Hawai'i Belt Road.
Police said Dominador Busque, 46, of Waimea, died at North Hawai'i Community Hospital about a half-hour after the 7:20 p.m. collision. Busque's sedan crossed the center line and slammed into a 1977 Chevrolet pickup truck driven by Clifford Guerpo, 51, also of Waimea, said Sgt. Samuel Jelsma. Both men were driving alone on the rainy night, Jelsma said.
Guerpo was treated at the hospital and released.
There have been 12 traffic fatalities on the Big Island this year compared with 10 at this time last year.
Man, 90, ordered not to drive again
WAILUKU, Maui — A 90-year-old Kula man involved in a fatal collision with a motorcyclist was placed on five years of unsupervised probation Thursday and ordered not to drive anymore.
James Scott Cumming, who appeared in court in a wheelchair and with an oxygen tube, pleaded no contest to second-degree negligent homicide in the Nov. 11, 1999, death of Craig Diego, 29, of Pukalani.
Deputy Prosecutor Carson Tani said Cumming was not wearing his eyeglasses when he failed to yield the right of way to Diego's motorcycle at Lower Kula and Waipoli roads.
Tani said he did not seek a harsher sentence because of Cumming's age and declining health.
Tourist rescued on Kaua'i trail
Kaua'i firefighters rescued a German tourist Thursday after he slipped and fell 50 feet off a Waimea Canyon trail and landed on a ledge.
The tourist, who was described as in his 30s, was walking on the trail with his girlfriend when he apparently walked too close to the edge and slipped just before noon, said Battalion Chief Ernest Moniz.
A firefighter rappelled down to the man, secured him, and the two were both pulled from of the canyon by four firefighters. The operation finished at 2:10 p.m.
"The tourist was not injured, but he was very lucky," said Moniz, who added if it weren't for the ledge, the man could have plummeted about 1,000 feet to the bottom.
Suspect captured in stabbing attack
Police arrested a 41-year-old Pacific Heights man after he allegedly stabbed another man in a dispute in Pearl City on Thursday.
Police responded to Ho'ohulu Street on a disturbance call at 6:35 p.m. and found a 32-year-old man who had been stabbed by an acquaintance during an argument.
The assailant fled the area, but was subsequently found and arrested by West O'ahu officers on suspicion of attempted second-degree murder, police said.
The victim was taken to Queen's Medical Center in serious condition.
Son, 17, arrested in threat case
A domestic argument led to the arrest of a 17-year-old boy after he allegedly threatened his 45-year-old father with a kitchen knife Thursday night in 'Alewa Heights.
According to police, the son became enraged and grabbed a large kitchen knife and pointed it at his father and said he was going to kill him in their Lanui Place residence.
The boy was later arrested on suspicion of first-degree terroristic threatening.
