Posted on: Thursday, October 28, 2004
POLICE BEAT
Snorkel incident fatal to Calif. man
Advertiser Staff
HILO, Hawai'i — A 58-year-old man who was pulled from the waters of 'Anaeho'omalu Bay on Saturday has died at the North Hawai'i Community Hospital in Waimea.
Douglas Elliot of California was snorkeling at the bay at about noon when he became unconscious. His snorkeling companion and a bystander brought him to shore, and from there
he was taken to the hospital's critical-care unit, where he died on Tuesday.
Police have ordered an autopsy.
KIHEI, Maui — A 26-year-old Maui woman was killed Tuesday night when she was thrown from the pickup truck she was driving after the truck hit a dirt embankment about 11:10 p.m.
Police traffic investigators said Danae Carmel Carter, of a Ho'olalei Way address in Kihei, was traveling south on Kanakanui Road when she lost control
of the 1998 GMC Sierra truck, which drifted across the roadway and hit the embankment about 0.4 mile south of Ke Ali'i Alanui Drive.
The truck flipped over and came to rest against the right shoulder of the southbound lanes of Pi'ilani Highway, police said. Carter, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the truck and struck a 1997 Ford Taurus station wagon heading south on the road, police said.
She died at the scene of the crash. A front-seat passenger in the truck, Gregory Owen Akers of Kihei, was wearing a seat belt and received minor injuries. He was listed yesterday in good condition at Maui Memorial Medical Center.
Carter's death brings the traffic death toll for Maui County to 14 so far this year compared with 11 at this time last year.
A 33-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of forgery and identity theft about 3 p.m. Tuesday after she wrote a check for $652.47 at a Honolulu business and showed a Hawai'i driver's license as identification.
Police said a cashier was attempting to verify the check when he learned that it had been forged.
Police were called and quickly discovered that the driver's license used by the woman was counterfeit.
The city medical examiner's office has identified Lan Sang Vuong, 93, of a Kanunu Street address, as the pedestrian who was fatally injured about 11:20 a.m. Monday when she was struck by a van while trying to cross Kalakaua Avenue near Makaloa Street.
Witnesses told police that Vuong was in a crosswalk but crossing against the red light when she was hit by a white Chevy van. She was dragged a short distance before the van stopped. Vuong was pinned under the vehicle. She was taken to The Queen's Medical Center in critical condition and died several hours later.
The state's new 52-12 program to crack down on drunken driving moves into high gear this month.
Starting this weekend, police departments from all four counties will participate in the program in which police will put up a roadblock every week for the next 12 months to screen drinking drivers.
Traditionally in Hawai'i, roadblocks have been clustered around holiday weekends. The 52-12 program puts a surprise element into the enforcement effort.
"We hope that by shaking up the DUI enforcement period, we can help discourage drunken driving," said state Transportation Director Rod Haraga.
Last year more than half of the 133 traffic fatalities in Hawai'i involved alcohol.
Woman, 26, killed in crash on Maui
Identity theft suspect arrested
Officials identify woman hit by van
New roadblock program to start
