Emergency Medical Services, police and firefighters had a grim time late Friday and early yesterday — handling fatal, critical and serious crashes between Wai'anae and Mo'ili'ili, from H-3 Freeway to the North Shore.

The worst of the road carnage occurred around 3:45 a.m. about three miles west of H-3 Freeway's Harano Tunnels.

Police said a 46-year-old Montana woman driving a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu east in westbound H-3 lanes slammed head-on into a 1997 Honda Accord, killing Janice Madamba, 33, of the Pearl City area, who was driving.

Police, who said speed was a possible factor in the accident, launched a negligent homicide investigation.

Madamba was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy will be performed tomorrow.

The older woman, who was not identified, was taken to The Queen's Medical Center in serious condition.

The Honolulu Fire Department had to be called in to cut the Malibu apart to free the trapped driver, said HFD spokesman Capt. Kenui Spencer.

"It was an extensive extrication," said Honolulu Emergency Services Department spokesman Bryan Cheplic. "It took almost 45 minutes to remove the older woman, according to my understanding."

Police said it was the 48th highway fatality so far this year, compared to 39 a year ago.

Yesterday afternoon, a pedestrian was critically injured near the Rainbow Drive-In on Kapahulu Avenue.

Cheplic said a motorist had struck a sign on Kapahulu and the sign fell on the man, who was in his 60s or 70s. The accident occurred about 4:30 p.m.

The man was taken to Queen's in "extremely critical" condition, Cheplic said.

The weekend's major accident lineup actually started at around 10:20 p.m. Friday on Farrington Highway near the entrance to the Wai'anae Regional Park. Authorities said a 2006 Volkswagen driven by 27-year-old man collided with an all-terrain vehicle driven by a man in his 30s.

After being stabilized at the Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Medical Center, the driver of the ATV was flown by helicopter to Queen's in extremely critical condition.

The driver of the Jetta and his female passenger were unhurt, police said.

Meanwhile, shortly after 10:30 p.m., there was a head-on collision on the stretch between Pu'ula and Kumupali Roads near Shark's Cove on the North Shore, according to Cheplic.

"Four patients — three males and one female, all in their 20s — were taken to Queen's in serious but stable condition," he said.

He said another person in his 20s was treated for minor injuries at Wahiawa General Hospital.

At about 12:35 a.m. yesterday there was a serious accident at South King and McCully streets involving a 2002 Dodge Dakota pickup driven by an 18-year-old 'Ewa Beach man.

Few details were given, but police said about a half-dozen passengers in the pickup were injured and hospitalized.

Cheplic said one of those, a 21-year-old man who had been riding in the pickup bed, was taken to Queen's in extremely critical condition after being thrown from vehicle.

Then, at 5:06 a.m. at North School Street and Kapalama Avenue, a 37-year-old man plowed his van into the back end of a garbage truck and was taken to Queen's in critical condition, according to Cheplic.

The man's condition was later upgraded to serious condition, he said.

Honolulu Police Department Traffic Division Sgt. Mike Brede wasn't sure what to make of so many accidents in one night.

"Sometimes its just happens that way," he said. "I don't know if there's any way to attribute them to any specific reason other than just pure chance. It would be nice if we had a peaceful night after this.

"It would be nice if we had a peaceful rest of the year."

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.