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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, November 25, 2006

O'ahu roads: Three die in three days

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By Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writer

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Three people have been killed on O'ahu roads since Wednesday — the latest a 78-year-old man who was struck while he attempted to cross the H-1 Freeway near the Queen Emma Street overpass early yesterday morning.

The deaths are the 85th, 86th and 87th traffic fatalities on O'ahu this year, compared with 69 at the same time last year.

Shortly after 5 a.m., the pedestrian made it across the west-bound lanes of the freeway and climbed over a center barrier, but was hit by a Toyota 4Runner when he tried to run through the east-bound lanes, police said.

It is unknown where he got onto the freeway, police said.

He was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:32 a.m., according to the city Department of Emergency Services.

He was the third person killed on O'ahu roadways since Wednesday.

Colleen Young, 47, of Kane'ohe died Thursday morning when her Ford Escort slammed into a rock wall on Kamehameha Highway across from Kualoa Ranch, police said.

Felix Scanlan, 33, of Wai'anae, died Wednesday night after his Ford Ranger pickup collided with a Chevy Suburban on Farrington Highway.

Traffic deaths on O'ahu were as low as 82 and as high as 118 from 1966 to 1986 when deaths dropped off to 68. The number of traffic deaths never exceeded 89 between 1986 and 2006.

Young was heading north near Kualoa Beach Park around 5:38 a.m. when she evidently lost control of her car, which veered off thee road and struck a rock wall at a beachfront residence at 49-701 Kamehameha Highway, police said.

In the Wai'anae fatality, police said that Scanlan was driving east around 10:55 p.m. when he crossed the double solid yellow line and hit a blue 1995 Suburban head on. Scanlan was not wearing his seat belt and was thrown from his vehicle.

He died at the Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Health Care Center.

Also, late Thursday night, two men were injured, one critically, after the truck they were traveling in flipped over on the North Shore.

The accident occurred near Velzyland when a 21-year-old man driving the truck flipped it after veering north-bound into the shoulder and then into a wall.

The driver was not wearing his seat belt and was ejected from the truck. He was taken to Queen's in extremely critical condition, Emergency Medical Services said.

His passenger, a 22-year-old man, was also taken to Queen's, and was in serious but stable condition.

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.