POLICE BEAT
Injured pedestrian dies at Queen's
Advertiser Staff
A Big Island man critically injured when he was hit by a car Tuesday on Kamehameha Avenue south of Kumu Street in Hilo died Friday night at The Queen's Medical Center, Hawai'i County police said.
Traffic investigators identified the victim as Steven H. Kepano, 54, of Hilo. He died at 6:20 p.m. The Honolulu Medical Examiner's office has scheduled an autopsy for tomorrow.
Police said Kepano was hit by a 2008 Chevrolet sedan while jaywalking across Kamehameha Avenue about 7:30 p.m. The 32-year-old woman driver was not injured. Kepano may have been under the influence of alcohol, police said.
The death was the Big Island's 15th traffic fatality of the year, compared with 23 at the same time last year.
CAUSE OF HOUSE FIRE INVESTIGATED
Big Island firefighters brought a weekend fire that destroyed a Pahoa home under control in 30 minutes, firefighters said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, the firefighters said. No one was injured in the blaze.
When they arrived at the home at 13-771 Malama St. in the Leilani Estates area at 7:38 a.m. Saturday, the 900-square-foot, one-story home was engulfed in flames.
Two engines, a medical unit and inspectors were on hand to bring the fire under control. A detached carport was not affected by the fire.
The fire caused $140,000 in damage.
VICTIM OF CRASH WAS KIHEI MAN
Maui police yesterday identified a man killed in a single-vehicle accident in Olowalu as Rodolfo Cabanting, 37, of Kihei.
Investigators said Cabanting was driving on Honoapi'ilani Highway toward Ma'alaea at 2:38 p.m. when he lost control of his 2005 Toyota pickup truck.
The truck crossed left of the center line, slid across to the shoulder of the roadway and hit a tree, 267 feet east of Mile Marker 15, near the entrance to Olowalu Store.
Cabanting was pronounced dead at the scene.
The death is Maui's 13th fatality of the year, compared with 15 by the same date in 2007.
