Man, son hit by truck on Big Island

By Kevin Dayton
Advertiser Big Island Bureau

A Kona man and his 7-year-old son were seriously injured Sunday when they were struck by a pickup truck as they walked on Ali'i Drive. Police said the driver of the truck was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of intoxicants.

Emil Spencer, 40, was listed in critical condition at The Queen's Medical Center yesterday, and police said his son, Kihei Spencer, also was taken to Queen's. A hospital spokeswoman declined to release information about the boy's condition.

Brian Pajimola of Hualalai, who witnessed the accident, said he was driving south on Ali'i Drive at about 12:40 p.m. Sunday when a large pickup truck approached from the other direction and crossed the center line, prompting Pajimola to drive off the side of the road to avoid it.

The truck then swerved back into the northbound lane at 45 mph or more, Pajimola said. As the truck passed, the driver appeared to be leaning over inside the truck as if he were reaching for something.

Pajimola had just passed the Spencers as they were walking south on the mauka side of the highway. He said the father and son appeared to be returning from an outing at Magic Sands Beach. Both were in swim trunks and the boy had no shirt on.

Although they were facing the truck, they had few options, Pajimola said, since there was a rock wall along the shoulder of the highway and nowhere to flee except into the middle of the road.

As Pajimola circled around to return to the scene, "everybody was stopping and everybody was running toward that area, and I already knew what happened," he said.

Police said the Spencers were struck by a 2003 Ford pickup truck near the intersection with La'aloa Avenue. The driver of the truck, a 45-year-old Kailua, Kona, man, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and two counts of negligent injury.

"He was talking to himself, he was crying and everything, but too late," Pajimola said.

Pajimola said he saw the driver try to hide a black leather fanny pack in some bushes by the side of the road, and he later pointed the bag out to police.

Police recovered the truck and the fanny pack, and planned to obtain search warrants to collect more evidence.

The driver was being held yin the Kona police cellblock and had not been formally charged.

Reach Kevin Dayton at kdayton@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 935-3916.