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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, February 8, 2009

Traffic fatalities on Oahu rise to 11

By Dan Nakaso
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser
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A man in his 70s who was hit by a Roberts Hawaii bus while walking in McCully and an 83-year-old woman who was struck by a hit-and-run driver in 'Aiea died within hours of each other and became O'ahu's 10th and 11th traffic fatalities of the year.

At the same time last year, O'ahu had seven fatal traffic accidents.

Both pedestrians had not been positively identified by the Honolulu Medical Examiner's Office yesterday.

The male pedestrian was in a crosswalk around 7:30 p.m. Friday when he was hit while trying to cross Beretania Street at McCully Street.

He heading mauka when he was struck by a Roberts Hawaii bus making a left turn from McCully onto Beretania, police said.

The man was taken to The Queen's Medical Center in critical condition and later died.

Then early yesterday morning, the woman was walking uphill on Ka'onohi Street toward the Kam Swap Meet site when she was hit by a driver heading makai around 2:20 a.m., police said.

The woman was near the KFC restaurant and partially on Ka'onohi Street — but not in a crosswalk — when she was hit by a car that fled, police said.

A witness described the car as possibly a white Cadillac or a similar-type vehicle, police said.

The car may have damage to the right front or side, including damage to the right headlight or windshield, police said.

The woman, who lived in the 'Aiea area, was taken in critical condition to a Honolulu trauma center, where she later died, said Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the city's emergency services department.

Police have opened a felony hit-and-run investigation.

Speed may have been a factor but police do not know if alcohol was a factor. They are asking anyone with information to contact police traffic investigators.

Officials also have identified the driver of a stolen truck who died in a spectacular crash Thursday as Kaulana Nordin of Wai'anae.

Nordin was the driver of a 1995 Nissan pickup that lost control on Hakimo Road and hit a fire hydrant, utility pole guy wire and rock wall before spinning through the air and landing in the middle of the road, police said.

Nordin's 41-year-old passenger was taken to Hawaii Medical Center West in critical condition but was later upgraded to serious condition.

Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com.