Updated at 11:30 a.m., Thursday, September 27, 2001

Fatal crash attributed to racing

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

A Schofield Barracks soldier is dead and another Army soldier faces manslaughter and drunk driving charges after a two-car collision near Ala Moana Center today that police say involved racing.

A black 2001 Ford Escort with three Schofield Barracks soldiers collided with a white 2001 Hyundai Tiburon with two Schofield soldiers near the intersection of Ala Moana Boulevard and Atkinson Drive at 2:40 a.m, police said.

Both cars were speeding ewa-bound on Ala Moana when they collided, police said. On impact, the Ford hit a concrete wall and the Hyundai ran into shrubs on the right side of the road.

The driver of the Ford, 23, and the man in the back, 27, were taken to Queen's Medical Center with multiple fractures. Both were in fair condition at Queen's today, a hospital spokeswoman said.

The man in the front seat, 25, died at the scene of multiple injuries, police said. No one in the car wore seatbelts, they said.

The driver of the Hyundai, 23, and his passenger, a 21-year-old man, were not seriously injured, police said.

They arrested the driver of the Hyundai, which had Arkansas license plates, on suspicion of manslaughter and drunken driving. The driver of the Ford has not been arrested, police said.

Both cars were speeding over the posted 30 mph limit, police said. They closed Ala Moana between Hobron Lane and Atkinson Drive for more than four hours to investigate.

It was O'ahu's 59th traffic fatality this year, compared with 48 at the same time last year. Police are asking any witnesses to call the Traffic Division at 529-3499.

Law enforcement officials have vowed to crack down on street racing after a crash in August killed a teacher on her way home.