Five killed in Hale'iwa crash

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

A single-car crash on Kamehameha Highway north of Hale'iwa killed five people early today, and police said the car may have been going as fast as 100 mph at the time.

Mitchell George of Glenn’s Towing in Waialua removes the wreckage of a car that crashed on Kamehameha Highway and Kawailoa Road, north of Hale‘iwa, early today. All five people in the vehicle were killed. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

Traffic investigators are still trying to identify the victims. But Dezmen Anoina said his 17-year-old brother, Jose Delizo, was among those killed today. He identified the others in the car as his cousins, Patrick Askew-Jackson, 21, and Kaimana Askew-Jackson, 13; Rex Dicion, age unknown but believed to be in his 30s; and Shannon Waiwaiole, 22.

The 1998 Honda Civic EX was headed toward Hale'iwa at 1:30 a.m. when it veered across the highway and struck a palm tree fronting the Diamond C Ranch about 100 feet from the 62-100 block of Kawailoa Road.

No one in the car survived the crash. The driver and front-seat passenger were thrown from the vehicle, while three others were pinned inside.

Parts of the car are strewn around the palm tree.

It was the deadliest accident on O'ahu's roadways since five people were killed and three injured in a car crash on Kalaniana'ole Highway near Kuli'ou'ou on Nov. 10, 1995. O'ahu's traffic fatality count for the year climbed to 22 with today's deaths.

Police closed off Kamehameha Highway between Kawailoa Road and Joseph Leong Highway to traffic in both directions until 6:30 a.m., when one of two lanes was open. Both lanes were open about an hour later.

"It was Shannon's car," Anoina said. "St. Patrick's Day was Pat's birthday and they were coming to pick me up. We were going cruising."

The five may have been at a birthday party for Patrick Askew-Jackson at Sunset Beach. Relatives who were in another car in front of Waiwaiole's car turned back and discovered the crash.

Anoina said his aunt, Momi Askew, mother of the Jackson brothers, told him about the death of his brother, a senior at Waialua High & Intermediate School.

"He was happy and looking forward to graduating this year," Anoina said. "Right now, I'm just thinking why my brother and cousins."

Kaimana Jackson was a student at Waialua Intermediate School.

Students began a two-week vacation yesterday but office staff at Waialua High & Intermediate were shocked by the news that two of their students were killed in the crash.

"We have 750 kids from grades 7-12 and are so small that we all know each other," Waialua Principal Aloha Coleman said. "We're deeply saddened by today's events and are going to miss these two young men."

Coleman said Waialua students are reminded before going on breaks during the school year to be "real careful about their choices."

She will make additional counselors available to students if needed when they return to class on March 31.

Waiwaiole, a former Waialua High basketball and football player, was driving the car. He was thrown from the car upon impact and his body was recovered about 30 feet from the vehicle.

"Right now, I'm just kind of shaken," said David Stone, 27, a friend of Waiwaiole from childhood. "I'm shocked about the whole thing."

Stone visited the scene of the accident today with several friends. "I took a piece of his motor, a tiny piece, and I'm going to hang it from my mirror (in my car) as a reminder of him."

Stone remembers Waiwaiole as a "friendly, people-person kind of guy," he said. "It's such a loss. He was such a good guy."

Kainalu Ortogero, 26, who was with Stone, said he lived next door to Waiwaiole in Waialua for eight years and considered him a brother. Ortogero said he was expecting a call from Waiwaiole this morning because they had plans to go out today and to go bodysurfing at Waimea Bay.

"I can't believe that this happened," Ortogero said.

Ortogero recalled happier times, when Waiwaiole would visit his family and help himself to food in their refrigerator, play Super Nintendo with Ortogero and other friends all night long, and even watch the house for the family while they were away.

"That's how close we were," Ortogero said. "He was a brother. He was always there and we were always there for him."

"Shannon was funny," Ortogero added. "He'd always make us laugh. Always."

Advertiser staff writers Zenaida Serrano Espanol, Will Hoover and Mike Gordon contributed to this report.