Police say speeding appeared to be a factor in a collision on Puohala Street near Kulauli Place in Kane'ohe yesterday afternoon that caused fatal injuries to one man and critical injuries to two others.

Investigators said a black 2003 Dodge Neon was traveling on Puohala when it struck a 1985 Toyota van near the intersection with Kulauli Street. The Neon then struck a utility pole.

A 19-year-old Kane'ohe man who was a rear passenger in the Neon was taken to Castle Medical Center in critical condition and was pronounced dead at about 6:50 p.m.

The Neon's driver, 17, and front passenger, 20, also of Kane'ohe, were taken to The Queen's Medical Center in serious condition.

The van driver, a 19-year-old man from the Big Island, was not injured.

A light rain was falling at the time of the incident and the road surface was slightly wet, investigators said. It was not known whether drugs or alcohol were involved.

The traffic death was the 37th of the year on O'ahu, compared with 46 by this day last year.

Body found in Puna district

Big Island detectives are awaiting autopsy results to determine the identity of a person whose skeletal remains were found Saturday in the Fern Acres subdivision of Puna.

Patrol officers responded to a 6:40 p.m. call reporting the discovery of the remains near a residence on Pikake Street.

Detectives said the fully clothed body was so decomposed that its gender was not apparent.

A 46-year-old man, Carl E. New, of Pikake Street, has been reported missing in the Fern Acres area. New was last seen on June 13 near where the body was found.

Big Island DUI arrests surging

Big Island police arrested 20 motorists on suspicion of drunken driving last week. Two of the drivers were involved in a traffic crash and seven were younger than 21.

So far this year, there have been 594 DUI arrests on the Big Island, compared with 546 by this day last year, an increase of 9 percent.

There have been 1,371 major accidents so far this year on the Big Island, compared with 1,276 during the same period last year, an increase of 7 percent, resulting in 25 deaths, compared to 15 for the same period last year, an increase of 67 percent.