Posted on: Saturday, October 9, 2004

On-duty officer injured in crash

By David Waite
Advertiser Staff Writer

A police officer was injured yesterday when his sport utility vehicle collided with a Toyota pickup truck in Mililani while he was responding to a call.

Officer Scott Goeas was traveling south on Meheula Parkway about 1:45 a.m. in his 1999 Dodge Durango when a 1998 Toyota SR5 pickup traveling on Kuahelani Avenue ran a red light and collided with him, police said.

The Toyota driver, a 41-year-old Mililani man, was thrown from his truck. He and Goeas were taken to The Queen's Medical Center.

The Toyota driver was listed in serious condition. Goeas was released after being treated for neck and knee injuries, police said.

Speeding and alcohol use by the Toyota driver appeared to have contributed to the collision, police said.

Goeas, assigned to the Wahiawa station, has been a police officer for eight years. He was responding to a call for assistance at a traffic accident.

The accident yesterday morning marks the third time in less than two months that Honolulu police officers responding to calls for help were involved in accidents.

Wahiawa police officer Issac Veal was killed Aug. 16 when his Dodge Durango flipped over on the H-2 Freeway while he was responding to a report of a gang fight in Mililani.

On Sept. 16, police officer Kevin Bailey was critically injured when he swerved his Ford Explorer on Kalaniana'ole Highway in 'Aina Haina while trying to avoid a Honda Civic that turned left in front of him without warning.

The Honda driver was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. Bailey, who suffered head and internal injuries, was recently discharged from the hospital and is undergoing rehabilitation, police said.

Reach David Waite at 525-7014 or dwaite@honoluluadvertiser.com.