Posted on: Wednesday, July 24, 2002

Witnesses sought in fatal crash

By Will Hoover
Advertiser Staff Writer

Police yesterday continued their efforts to unravel details of an early morning car crash that left one man dead and five injured Monday along the H-2 Freeway close to where it merges with the H-1, near Leeward Community College.

Police suspect the drivers were racing and are seeking witnesses.

A 23-year-old man, thrown from one of the cars, died at the scene. The 20-year-old male driver, also thrown from that vehicle, remained in critical condition at The Queen's Medical Center, police said. A 22-year-old woman was in guarded condition at Queen's yesterday.

Authorities said a 13-year-old boy in the second car was listed in fair condition.

Two other people among the six in the two cars were hurt but did not require hospitalization.

Honolulu Police Maj. Robert Prasser said it's possible that the cars were racing before they slammed into guard rails on each side of the northbound freeway at approximately 3:15 a.m.

Prasser said the two cars — a blue 1989 Honda with four people and a black 1993 Honda with two — may have made contact before going out of control. Police believe alcohol also could have been a contributing factor in the crash.

The name of the dead man was not released, but the Honolulu Medical Examiner's Office said he was from Kahuku.