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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Friday, September 17, 2004

Officer critically injured in Wailupe crash

By David Waite and Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writers

A Honolulu police officer remained in critical condition yesterday after a collision with a suspected drunken driver.

The early morning wreck on Kalaniana'ole Highway follows the death of a police officer in another traffic accident last month.

No one else was injured in yesterday's crash.

Police said officer Kevin Bailey, 39, was on duty and traveling toward Honolulu near Wailupe when a Honda made a left turn in front of the officer's oncoming sport utility vehicle at Ka'ai Street.

Bailey swerved his Ford Explorer to avoid the car, but struck it, then slammed into a concrete-block wall, police traffic investigators said. The Explorer rolled over, coming to rest on its side. The wreck occurred just after midnight.

Bailey, who was wearing a seat belt, was pinned in the Explorer with head and internal injuries and was removed by firefighters.

He was taken to The Queen's Medical Center in critical condition. At 5 p.m., Bailey was listed as critical but stable.

Police officer Kevin Bailey's sport utility vehicle struck a sedan that turned into its path, scattering debris across Kalaniana'ole Highway.

Keith Sonoda • Special to The Advertiser

According to his employment records, Bailey has been a Honolulu police officer for 12 years and is assigned to the East Honolulu district.

Police said 22-year-old Kenneth Shimizu, the man driving the Honda, was not injured but was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. Shimizu's home address is on Ka'ai Street.

Detective Timothy Tenney has been with HPD for 13 years and said he has known Bailey for most of his career. Last night he described Bailey as "a friendly guy, super-nice guy who always has something good to say."

The two often would meet on the job at District Court where they would have the opportunity to update each other on their lives. Tenney said Bailey is married and has children.

"When he comes to court, he doesn't miss one person when he shakes hands," Tenney said. "Even if he doesn't know you, he'll come up to you and say, 'What's going on, brother? How you doing?' "

Bailey spent the first part of his career in the Pearl City district and later the Wai'anae/ Kapolei district. He has been in the East Honolulu district for about a year.

Tenney said Bailey is a knowledgeable and fair officer who is well-liked by his superiors and fellow officers. Tenney said he was crushed when he heard the news yesterday morning that his friend was critically injured while on duty.

"Instantly I thought back of my other friend who just past away, Ike Veal (who was killed Aug. 16 in an accident while responding to a call in Mililani). Ike was my friend and less than two months later now, Kevin is laying in a hospital bed. It's sad," Tenney said.

"I pray for Kevin to make it. He's a friend of mine."

Police shut down all town-bound lanes of Kalaniana'ole Highway for about five hours while traffic investigators scoured the area. A contra-flow lane was set up at about 2:20 a.m. to help accommodate town-bound traffic. The entire highway reopened shortly before 5 a.m.

Veal was killed in a one-vehicle crash on the H-2 Freeway while responding to a call for help.

Traffic investigators believe Veal's 2000 Dodge Durango veered onto the left shoulder of the freeway then cut back across two lanes of traffic and hit a concrete barrier, causing the Durango to flip several times.

Veal, 58, who was not wearing a seat belt, died at the scene.

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