At the scene Friday, the truck's driver told investigators that his air brakes failed, police said.

Just like personal vehicles, trucks and buses over 20,000 pounds are required to pass an annual safety inspection and display a sticker on their windshield.

Inspectors examine a vehicle's brakes, headlights, brake lights, transmission, engine, rearview mirrors, gas pedals, and other instruments vital to the safe operation of the vehicle.

The passenger, Mark Roben, was crushed to death and the driver, Tipasa Save, 31, was seriously hurt when the 35,000-pound garbage truck hurtled down Makakilo Drive, plowed through the eastbound H-1 off-ramp, hopped a 20-foot embankment, flipped on its side and slid to within 15 feet of the back wall of Chili's Bar & Grill in the Kapolei Shopping Center.

The truck hit several vehicles in the parking lot in the 11:50 a.m. accident.

Police said yesterday that the case is still under investigation. Save remains hospitalized in serious condition.

Wes Chong, director of marketing for Honolulu Disposal Service, said he does not know when the truck was last inspected.

He said the company regularly inspects its vehicles.

He said no accident of this magnitude involving a company truck has happened in the firm's 37-year history.

"This is a blow to our company," Chong said. "The drivers are shaken up and so are we."

He said that management has held meetings with every employee to talk about the tragedy and reinforce safety guidelines.

The accident comes almost a year after a runaway truck on Pali Highway killed a woman.

In that accident, a town-bound tractor-trailer, owned by Rick's Heavy Equipment of Kailua, crossed the center median and collided head-on with a Kailua-bound van.

A Handi-Van also was hit, and several other vehicles were damaged by debris.

Police and state investigators later determined that the truck's safety sticker had expired six months before the crash and the driver did not have a valid license for that type of vehicle.