Romena was treated for cuts and bruises at Maui Memorial Medical Center in Wailuku and released yesterday with only the help of crutches. The baby, Kaila Ku'ulei Callo, was in stable condition yesterday at Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women and Children on O'ahu.

Two others in the vehicle died in the 5:17 p.m. accident: Denise Callo, 34, of Hali'imaile, and James Makekau, 16, of Pukalani.

Traffic investigators spent most of yesterday at the scene, trying to piece together what happened. The work was made more difficult by the fact that the four-door Nissan sedan lies upside-down on a rocky beach below a roadside lookout.

Police said the four spent a day at the beach in Lahaina and then stopped to enjoy the ocean views at the unpaved scenic overlook off the winding Honoapi'ilani Highway on the Wailuku side of the pali tunnel. The gravel lot is state property, a remnant of the old highway that used to link West and Central Maui.

Parking the car near the edge of the lookout, they got out to look around. But when it was time to go, the driver, Callo, needed to make a U-turn. Instead, she apparently misjudged how close the vehicle was to the edge, said Maui police Lt. Jeffrey Tanoue of the Traffic Investigation Division.

The car's right front tire caught the edge, he said, and the whole vehicle tumbled over on its right side. Romena was in the front passenger seat, while Makekau and the baby were in the back.

Because of the grade, the driver maneuvering that close to the edge must look over the hood and it's nearly impossible to know exactly where the edge is, Tanoue explained.

With the Nissan tumbling and gaining speed, Romena's front passenger door opened about halfway down, he said. The girl was ejected from the car and thrown far enough away to avoid being crushed.

She grabbed onto a boulder and held tight, then — battered and cut — began climbing. Witnesses said she was crying about her baby and asking for help.

Tanoue said investigators believe she was wearing her shoulder harness, but not the lap belt. Whether the others were wearing seatbelts is unknown, he said. Callo was found crushed inside the car. Makekau was thrown onto the rocky beach and was partially in the water.

The baby was found crying in the backseat, wedged into a space just big enough to hold the tiny infant, he said. An infant's car seat was found crushed underneath the sedan, leading investigators to believe the child was not strapped in.

"It's amazing," Tanoue said, adding that the car was nearly flattened. "It's a miracle."

Authorities worked to extract the baby and then airlifted her to an ambulance, which took her and Romena to Maui Memorial. From there, the child was flown to Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women and Children for precautionary tests.

Tanoue said the preliminary investigation found no evidence of alcohol or drug use. Autopsies are scheduled for today.

The state Department of Transportation will be reviewing the situation as it relates to the unpaved lookout and roadway safety, said Scott Ishikawa, DOT spokesperson.

Makekau, a former student at Baldwin High School in Wailuku, was described as a friend of Romena.

Callo, a 1989 graduate of Maui High School, was the sister of the father of the baby. She is survived by a 12-year-old daughter, Chloe.

"She was a sweet girl," said an auntie, Bonnie Baylosis, remembering her last visit with Callo a couple of weeks ago. "She was good-hearted. A little headstrong, but sometimes that gets you through life."

Baylosis said Callo was a waitress who seemed to be quite happy. "I liked her. I enjoyed her company."

Meanwhile, Romena and her family worked most of yesterday trying to make arrangements to join baby Kaila at Kapi'olani. They were expected to arrive last night.

Earlier, Mary Goodman, the girl's great-grandmother, said the baby, with a bruise over her right eye, was breathing on her own and moving nicely. "It's very positive," she said

Romena, who dropped out of school after she got pregnant, was described by Goodman and Ruiz as a tough kid, capable of taking the most severe punishment. Recently she fell out of the back of a moving truck and escaped with only a broken wrist.

"She's a nine-lifer, that girl," Ruiz said.

The baby's grandmother and great-grandmother were still shaking their heads at the "miracle" of the day.

Goodman was in Pukalani Superette market first thing yesterday, buying the morning newspapers when she mentioned to the cashier that her granddaughter and great-granddaughter had survived the plunge on the pali.

A lady who overheard the comment immediately handed her a $100 bill, saying she hoped it would help the family with expenses in Honolulu.

"That was an angel," Goodman said. "I told my daughter who was waiting in the car, and she went in and gave her a hug. She wouldn't even give her name. It just goes to show you what a caring place this is."