A weekend traffic wreck that claimed the lives of two women in Waimanalo was not preceded by a police chase, said officials responding to media reports and witness statements that an SUV evading police slammed into the victims' car.

A police sergeant who observed the SUV driving recklessly did turn on his car's lights and sirens, but police said he was not engaged in a high-speed chase when the SUV slammed into a sedan, killing two cousins inside.

Witnesses had reported hearing sirens before the wreck.

"There was no police pursuit that occurred prior to or during that collision," Honolulu police spokesman Capt. Frank Fujii said at a news conference yesterday.

"What really saddens us is that two people lost their lives here. Two families are grieving and that's been marred by this controversy and inaccurate reporting," he said, adding that media accounts of a "chase" were false.

"We all need to realize that in order for us to be safe on the roadways we need everybody's cooperation. People need to take personal responsibility and respect everyone on the roadway," Fujii said.

Killed late Saturday were Michelle Benevedes, 39, and Racquel Akau, 38, who died when a white 1997 Ford Explorer smashed into their gray 1990 Honda as they were leaving Inoa'ole Street off Kalaniana'ole Highway.

Benevedes was a Waimanalo resident; Akau had no known local address, according to the Honolulu medical examiner's office.

Police arrested the driver of the SUV, a 17-year-old boy, on suspicion of drunken driving and failure to render aid. Police also opened two felony negligent homicide investigations in connection with the wreck. They did not release the driver's name because he is a juvenile.

A passenger in the SUV, also a 17-year-old boy, fled from officers after the wreck. He is not currently being sought because he is not under suspicion of having broken any laws, police said.

DRIVING RECKLESSLY

Police said the fatal crash occurred soon after the SUV was seen driving recklessly in Waimanalo.

According to police, an HPD sergeant who was traveling toward Kailua on Kalaniana'ole Highway noticed a white Ford SUV drive through a red light into the parking lot of the Waimanalo Shopping Center.

The SUV then drove in circles — its tires squealing and its brakes shrieking — around a service station before pulling back onto Kalaniana'ole Highway and heading in the direction of Makapu'u beach, according to Fujii.

The SUV passed the police sergeant going in the opposite direction, police said.

At 9:49 p.m., the sergeant called in a radio report of a reckless vehicle, then turned on his siren and flashing blue lights before making a U-turn to intercept the SUV, police said. As he was making the turn, the sergeant lost sight of the SUV, Fujii said.

The sergeant drove down the highway headed toward Makapu'u when he saw that the SUV had collided with another vehicle at the intersection of Kalaniana'ole Highway and Inoa'ole Street, Fujii said.

Police would not say how fast the SUV or the police sergeant were traveling because the sergeant did not have a speed gun on the SUV, and would not speculate about how fast the sergeant was traveling.

The 17-year-old driver of the SUV and the 17-year-old passenger both attempted to run away following the accident, police said.

One witness reported watching the driver run up Inoa'ole Street before he was caught. The other teen ran in a different direction.

The women's car was pushed onto the curb by the SUV and pinned against a brick wall, police said. Both women were pinned in the car. The driver, Benevedes, was wearing a seat belt, but police believe Akau was not.

Both speed and alcohol were factors in the accident, police said.

Police closed both lanes of Kalaniana'ole Highway and Inoa'ole Street for five hours Saturday night and early Sunday morning to investigate the crash.

POLICY ON PURSUITS

HPD's policy on motor vehicle pursuits covers everything from the definition of a pursuit to the procedures officers must follow while starting, maintaining and ending a pursuit. The policy was created in 1998 and last revised on Jan. 1, 2003.

Prior to beginning a chase, "the blue light and siren shall be used to command a vehicle to stop before a pursuit is initiated," according to the department's policy. The pursuit may be initiated with "an authorized emergency vehicle if an officer directs a driver to stop but that driver exhibits intentions of eluding the officer by being evasive."

Officers have to announce to the dispatcher that they are starting to pursue a suspect and provide detailed information, including the time, location and weather conditions. Police also must obey the rules of the road, cannot pull alongside or overtake the suspect and "should remain a safe distance behind the pursued vehicle and keep it in sight until the driver stops voluntarily," according to the policy.

Officers are advised to end a chase "when the risk created by the pursuit is unreasonable given the nature of the offense for which the suspect is being pursued and (given) the conditions under which the pursuit must be conducted."

If an officer's report to a dispatcher is deemed to be a pursuit, the department's Internal Affairs division reviews the incident and submits its findings to a Pursuit Review Board. The board, made up of six police majors, makes a recommendation to the police chief about whether disciplinary action should be pursued and whether the officer complied with guidelines outlined in the policy.

The board reviews more than 50 pursuit cases each year.

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.