Posted on: Wednesday, May 23, 2001

Police officer loses license in DUI case

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

A 20-year veteran of the Honolulu Police Department has had his driver's license revoked following his May 17 arrest for suspicion of driving while under the influence of alcohol.

Sgt. Kelvin B. Dow was arrested after he was involved in an accident on Kamehameha Highway and Waipi'o Uka Street. Police said Dow, 40, hit the rear of a Mazda pickup truck, which then hit a Mercedes-Benz. Two women suffered minor injuries in the accident. They were treated at St. Francis Medical Center-West and released, police said.

Officers responding to the 2:30 p.m. accident said they noted a strong odor of alcohol on Dow and that his speech was slurred. Dow consented to a field sobriety test and failed, police said.

Dow told the officers that he was taking numerous medications, including one to help him sleep, and also had an injured knee. He asked for numerous chances to pass the field test, but police said Dow continued to fail.

Dow, who was off duty at the time of the accident, was arrested and taken to the Pearl City police substation, where he is assigned. At 4:18, nearly two hours after the accident, a breath test showed that Dow's alcohol level was .180, more than twice the legal limit of .08.