Racing possible factor in fatal crash on H-1

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

Police closed the westbound lanes of H-1 Freeway yesterday morning near Waipahu after a collision that killed four people. Witnesses said the two drivers of the Mitsubishi Eclipses appeared to be racing each other. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

Witnesses have told police that two Mitsubishi Eclipse cars appeared to be racing each other before the deadly wreck. Honolulu Police Chief Lee Donohue said that element is under investigation.

Police said the two cars were speeding west on H-1 when one of the cars rear-ended a Safety Systems Hawai'i flatbed truck at 3:11 a.m. The truck was making its regular morning inspection of the section of freeway that becomes the zipper lane.

Police Maj. Doug Miller said the car struck the truck's gas tank, which started the fire. The second Eclipse wound up in the pileup and also burst into flames.

The flatbed and first car were "basically locked together from this impact and they slid a distance before coming to a rest," said Miller, the commander of the Pearl City station. "The second of the speeding vehicles, we're not sure exactly what it did, but it ultimately did come to rest with the other two. So all ended up being fully engulfed."

A passenger in the flatbed, Mariano Salangdron Sr., 49, was killed, and the driver, Carl Koonce III, 56, was seriously injured. Safety Systems released the names of the two yesterday afternoon.

The two people in the Eclipse that hit the flatbed first were burned beyond recognition and police could not say yesterday whether they were male or female.

The driver of the second Eclipse also was killed and the passenger in that car was in stable condition, Donohue said. Both men were soldiers stationed at Schofield Barracks, although their names were not released by Army officials yesterday.

Pearl City police Capt. Stephen Kim said both cars were registered to military owners.

With yesterday's deaths, 14 people have been killed on O'ahu roads this year, compared with nine at the same time last year. Eight people died on Honolulu roads between Tuesday and yesterday's crash.

The deadly collision was the worst on O'ahu since four people were killed on Dec. 8 on Farrington Highway in Makaha. Police continue to investigate whether racing was involved in that incident.

David Nakama, who lives on Waiawa Road near the H-1 eastbound lanes, said flames from the burning cars were leaping so high he thought the accident had happened on his side of the freeway.

He and others said cars often race in the area.

"Oh, yeah, late at night you always hear them gassing it along this strip," Nakama said. "Almost every week they have an accident right out here."

Police said the two cars were speeding when one rear-ended the Safety Systems Hawai'i flatbed truck, struck its gas tank and ignited the fire. The other car wound up in the pileup and also burst into flames. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

"The biggest fire was at the rear of the truck and to the front half of one car," Tejada said. "A person from one of the cars, possibly the driver, crawled out and was being assisted by bystanders."

The two-person Safety Systems Hawai'i crew began the job at 2:30 a.m. near the airport, setting up a few cones and traffic signs before inspecting the route, said Scott Ishikawa, Department of Transportation spokesman.

"There are two rear flashers above the roof of the truck so they are more visible," Ishikawa said. "They had their rear flashers on. They do this every morning to make sure no debris clogs the zipper."

State road crews were in the area fixing potholes, Ishikawa said. One worker had just spoken with the crew of the passing flatbed. The two cars sped by him while he retrieved a sign on the shoulder of the freeway.

"He heard two cars zoom by him," Ishikawa said. "Moments later he heard an explosion. He drove to the scene and all the vehicles were in flames."

Ishikawa said the Zipper lane was slightly damaged but will re-open Tuesday after workers inspect it. Monday is a state holiday.

Donohue said his department is trying to clamp down on speeding and racing. He said motorcycle officers as well as patrol officers are constantly looking for speeders.

But he said the department is "short in manpower" and "we are addressing the issue as best that we can with the resources that we have."

Last year, speeding citations were up 30 percent to 37,000 from the previous year, he said. But Donohue added that police can't be everywhere, and he looked to the public for help.

"We all share the responsibility to drive safely. In the case of minors, I believe that parents have a responsibility to do everything they can to ensure that their child is a safe driver," Donohue said.

"There seems to be some sort of willful blindness on some parents' part that makes it easier for young drivers to get into dangerous situations. Every driver, no matter what age, makes decisions every time he or she gets behind the wheel, and we all have the responsibility to ourselves and to others on the road to drive safely."

The chief said he supports a measure that was drafted by city Prosecutor Peter Carlisle that calls for stricter punishment for excessive speeding. The bill, if approved, would increase penalties, including prison time, for people convicted of speeding.

Advertiser staff writers Rod Ohira, Mike Gordon, Vicki Viotti and Will Hoover contributed to this report.

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Police closed the westbound lanes of H-1 Freeway yesterday morning near Waipahu after a collision that killed four people. Witnesses said the two drivers of the Mitsubishi Eclipses appeared to be racing each other. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser