A 25-year-old woman was killed last night when she was struck by a car while trying to cross Farrington Highway near Awamoku Street in Waipahu.

Police said the woman, a Waipahu resident, started to cross the highway about 10:50 p.m. from the makai shoulder, outside of a crosswalk, when she was hit by a 1997 Saturn that was traveling toward Pearl City.

The Saturn was being driven by an 18-year-old Pearl City man, who told investigators that he did not see the woman. She was pronounced dead at the scene with head and internal injuries.

Investigators said speed may have been a factor in the case. The weather was clear at the time of the incident, which occurred in an area lighted by overhead street lights, police said.

Farrington Highway was closed following the accident and did not reopen until about 3:40 a.m. today.

There have been 69 traffic fatalities on O'ahu so far this year compared with 80 deaths during the same period last year.

Man arrested in car-theft case

Police yesterday arrested a 42-year-old Waimanalo man who is suspected of preventing a plainclothes officer from arresting another man in Waimanalo on Dec. 15 in connection with a car-theft case.

The 42-year-old man eluded back-up officers on Dec. 15, but police caught up with him yesterday in the Ala Moana area.

He was arrested on suspicion of attempted assault of a police officer and first-degree hindering prosecution.

Theft suspect asleep at wheel

A 39-year-old man was arrested yesterday on suspicion of car theft after a police sergeant noticed a car parked on an "unimproved sidewalk area" along Nu'uanu Pali Drive.

The officer got out of his car to check on the car about 1:45 p.m. and found its motor running, lights on and a man sleeping in the driver's seat. Police dispatchers told the officer the car was on a stolen vehicle list and he arrested the driver on suspicion of car theft.

Trio nabbed in credit scheme

A man and two women were arrested yesterday in connection with a scheme in which clerks at an Ala Moana store accepted stolen credit card numbers from one of the women who used the card numbers and names of the owners to buy gift certificates, police said.

Police said the woman used the stolen information to purchase gift certificates on Tuesday and Wednesday and was arrested yesterday along with the two store clerks.

The two women, ages 20 and 27, and man, 18, were arrested on suspicion of fraudulent use of a credit card, second-degree theft and identity theft.