Posted on: Friday, July 12, 2002

Probe opens into traffic death

By Mike Gordon and Kapono Dowson
Advertiser Staff Writers

Police traffic investigators have opened a negligent homicide investigation into an accident Tuesday morning that killed an 'Ewa Beach teenager.

The teen was identified yesterday by the Honolulu Medical Examiner's office as Marilene Bacani, 16. She died Wednesday at 8:02 a.m. at The Queen's Medical Center after being taken off life support.

Bacani suffered massive head injuries when she was hit on Fort Weaver Road by a station wagon driven by a 67-year-old woman. Police say she was in a crosswalk or near one at the time of the accident.

Traffic investigator Sgt. William Baldwin said the negligent homicide case could take three months to complete. There were no obvious reasons for the accident, he said. The driver was not driving faster than the 45 mph speed limit and neither drugs nor alcohol were a factor, he said.

"It's probably just inattention on both parties," he said. "Why did the person cross the road? Did she not see the car? The car was not speeding. Why didn't they see each other?"

Bacani, an only child who had turned 16 a week before the accident, had just completed her sophomore year at Campbell High School. School secretary Esther Villanueva said the girl was on her way Tuesday morning to do volunteer work with the "Journey Into Education" project at Campbell High. The project introduces students to teaching as a possible career.

Bacani's aunt, Prima Roncal Brotton, said in a telephone call yesterday from Gresham, Ore., that the girl was an honor roll student.

"She was very smart and very loving," Brotton said. "She was a wonderful girl who was at the wrong place at the wrong time."