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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, July 6, 2003

Three seriously hurt in crash

A Polynesian Hospitality tour bus is on its side on Likelike Highway townbound near Valley View Road. Police said three aboard the bus were in serious condition last night; 25 suffered minor injuries. The crash closed the highway.

Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

Advertiser Staff

Twenty-eight people were injured last night when a Polynesian Hospitality tour bus carrying 40 Japanese tourists flipped into a ditch on the Likelike Highway.

Passengers aboard the crashed tour bus were taken onto this city bus where paramedics treated the injured.

Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

Authorities said the driver's arm was pinned in the wreckage and had to be extricated by firefighters. He was taken to The Queen's Medical Center in critical condition.

Two other people aboard the bus were in serious condition after the accident. Twenty-five passengers suffered minor injuries and 13 were taken to the hospital by a city bus, authorities said. Another tour bus took the uninjured back to their hotel. Several ambulances were called to the scene.

The accident occurred about 10:45 p.m. on the Likelike townbound near Valley View Road. Officials said no other vehicles were involved.

Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. Kenison Tejada said passengers helped each other get out of the vehicle through a roof escape hatch.

Rain that began falling after the accident hampered rescue efforts, authorities said.

Townbound lanes of the Likelike remained closed at midnight.