Honolulu police Sgt. Hypolito Javier said the driver, who was in fair condition last night, told authorities that his air brakes failed. Police were conducting tests to determine what caused the 11:50 a.m., accident, but said it appeared that neither man in the truck was wearing a seat belt.

When the truck flipped on its side, it crushed a man who is believed to have been a passenger and co-worker. Initially, police, firefighters and emergency service crews were not able to establish whether the person beneath the truck was a passenger or a pedestrian in the parking lot.

"We're not going to be able to know that until we lift the truck up and see tattoos that we know the passenger had on his legs," said Javier.

Fire crews assist at the scene of the accident, in which one man was killed and another seriously injured. Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser

George Damon, Honolulu Disposal Service's operational vice president, made a preliminary identification before the body was taken to the medical examiner's office. He said he believed the man to be Mark Roben, who had recently joined the company.

"We think it was him," said Damon, who appeared shaken. "But we are not 100 percent certain."

Roben, 31, lived in Wai'anae with his wife, Jackie, according to Della Bautista, a family member.

Dan Hauck, of Kapolei, and daughters Grace, 3, and Amanda, 6, were fortunate to escape injury when the truck rammed their Honda Accord. Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser

The Roben family declined to comment on the accident last night until they could be told more details.

Jerry Gardner, operations supervisor for the company and the person who helped get Roben the job several weeks ago, said the recent hire went out yesterday morning with the experienced driver, whom Gardner identified as Tipasa Save.

"I've been in this business for 30 years and I've never seen anything like this," said Gardner, who described Roben as being excited about his new job and eager to learn the ropes. "I played softball with him. He was a great guy."

Many at the scene marveled that more people weren't hurt or killed in the normally crowded parking lot.

One person who considered himself lucky was Kapolei resident Dan Hauck. He was leaving McDonald's, next to Chili's Bar & Grill, with his two daughters, Grace, 3, and Amanda, 6, when he said he saw the truck flying through the air and heading straight at him.

"I saw the truck coming down at a high rate of speed — it was still up on the hill — and of course, you think, 'That's not right.' Then it came over the hill, flew a pretty good distance, then it crashed and was starting to overturn when I saw the man who was killed get trapped underneath."

Hauck slammed on his brakes as the truck rammed the front of his green 1998 Honda Accord. He said he believed that no one in his car was hurt because his younger daughter was in a child-restraint seat and he and the other girl were wearing seat belts.

"Had I completed my turn and gone forward, I believe all three of us would have been crushed by the truck," he said

Hauck, an Air Force major, said he jumped out and ran over to the bloodied driver, who was on the ground. He said he told the driver to stay down until emergency crews arrived.

"Then I came back around and saw the other man's body trapped beneath the vehicle," Hauck said. "I remember thinking to myself, 'He's not going to make it.' He was not moving."

Hauck speculated that the driver had tried to avoid plowing through the busy intersection of Makakilo Drive and Farrington Highway, and instead veered to the right, not realizing he was headed for a crowded parking lot.

He said he thought the passenger was either thrown from the truck or was attempting to escape when the truck crushed him.

Wes Chong, vice president of marketing at Honolulu Disposal Service, said the company doesn't know what caused the accident, but their mechanics will inspect the truck to try to find the cause.

Chong said the crew was collecting commercial trash in the area and picking up the second load of the day when the accident occurred.

He said the trucks are kept in good condition.

"We have a regular maintenance program with all our vehicles," Chong said.

He said the company has been in business for 37 years and this is the worst accident he can remember.

"This is not something we deal with often," Chong said. "I'm not even sure how to deal with it because this is not something that happens."