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The Honolulu Advertiser

Updated at 5:36 p.m., Sunday, September 9, 2007

Three killed in O'ahu traffic accidents identified

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

The Honolulu Medical Examiner's office today identified a motorist, motorcyclist and pedestrian who died from injuries suffered in traffic accidents on O'ahu during the first seven days of September.

Kenneth Yamada, 47, died at The Queen's Medical Center late Friday after crashing his Toyota sedan on Punchbowl Street near Lusitana Street. Police said Yamada was northbound on Punchbowl Street when his car veered into the southbound lane, went up a dirt embankment and struck a concrete structure.

Police vehicular homicide investigators said speed appeared to be a factor in the crash.

An autopsy today will determine cause and manner of death.

Vehicular homicide investigator Sgt. Danny Kaholokula today also reported the deaths of a motorcyclist critically injured in a crash on North Nimitz Highway near Sumner Street Sept. 2 and an elderly woman pedestrian struck by a vehicle in Waikiki on Sept. 1.

Sze Wong, 25, of Kapolei lost control of his 2002 Yamaha motorcycle at 1:20 p.m. after failing to negotiate a right-hand bend in the roadway near Flora-Dec Sales Inc. at 373 North Nimitz, hit a curb on the left side of the highway and slammed into a concrete bridge railing, according to vehicular homicide Sgt. Lorenzo Ridella.

Wong, who was thrown from the motorcycle, died Tuesday at Queen's. Speed was an apparent factor in the crash, and Wong was not wearing a helmet, police said.

Emma Larson, 74, of Waikiki, died Sept. 2 at Queen's after being struck by a vehicle Sept. 1 while in a crosswalk on Kalia Road. The accident occurred at 7:55 a.m.

Larson was O'ahu's 15th pedestrian fatality of the year and third since Aug. 6. O'ahu had 15 pedestrian fatalities at this time in 2006 and finished the year with 20.

With the three deaths, O'ahu's traffic fatality count in 2007 stands at 46 as compared to 67 on the same date in 2006.