A 55-year-old woman died after she was struck by a sport utility vehicle while trying to cross Nimitz Highway near the Dillingham overpass at about 8 a.m. yesterday.

It was the third pedestrian death on O'ahu this year, compared with four at this time last year. But overall, it was the 18th traffic fatality on O'ahu this year, compared with 12 at the same time last year, police said.

The Honolulu medical examiner's office identified the woman as Delia Molina of Honolulu.

Police traffic investigators said Molina was not in a crosswalk as she tried to cross Nimitz Highway in an east-bound contra-flow lane.

She was hit by a 2003 Suzuki multipurpose vehicle driven by a 64-year-old woman, police said. None of the three people in the SUV was hurt, police said.

Speed, alcohol and drugs are not believed to be factors, police said.

Molina was taken to The Queen's Medical Center with severe head and bodily injuries and was later pronounced dead, police said.

The first two pedestrian deaths this year happened within hours of each other in February.

On Feb. 6, Richard Tasaka, 63, of Honolulu was hit by a Roberts Hawaii bus as he was crossing Beretania Street at McCully Street at about 7:30 p.m. On Feb. 7, Margaret Gordon, 83, of 'Aiea was hit by a hit-and-run driver on Kaonohi Street in 'Aiea at about 2:20 a.m.