Police traffic investigators check the scene of a fatal pedestrian accident on Manoa Road at Lanihului Drive. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

The man was found unconscious on the ‘ewa sidewalk of MÅnoa Road, mauka of Lanihuli Drive, at 5:48 a.m. He died at The Queen’s Medical Center about two hours later.

Based on vehicle fragments recovered at the scene, police have classified the case as a hit-and-run.

Today’s incident occurred about nine hours after a 27-year-old man was killed last night in a motorcycle crash on Moanalua Road near the Red Hill off-ramp.

The two deaths raise O'ahu’s traffic fatality count for the year to 53, compared with 60 on this date last year.

Maj. Robert Prasser, commander of the Honolulu Police Department’s Traffic Division, said although fatalities from vehicle accidents have dropped by about 50 percent this year, pedestrian and motorcycle deaths are up.

Prasser attributes the drop in vehicle fatalities to stepped-up patrol efforts.

"We stressed pedestrian safety education but maybe we need to be more aggressive in enforcement of crosswalks with pedestrians as well as motorists," Prasser said.

From Oct. 2 through today, three motorcyclists, two pedestrians and a moped rider have been killed.

Speeding was a factor in all three motorcycle crashes and what alarms Prasser is the operators were wearing helmets.
"The new sports bikes are grossly overpowered and it’s easy to get to a high rate of speed," Prasser said. "In most of the cases we’ve seen, safety equipment is being used. Again, we need to look at more education and enforcement."