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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, December 18, 2008

Driver, motorcyclist both die in crash

Advertiser Staff

Two men were killed early yesterday when a speeding motorcycle broadsided a car near Honolulu International Airport, according to police vehicular homicide investigators.

The horrific impact of the 12:45 a.m. collision at the intersection of Kamehameha Highway and Camp Catlin Road left a 2007 Kawasaki motorcycle embedded in a 2008 Nissan Altima with only the motorcycle's back wheel visible.

The Honolulu medical examiner's office identified one of the victims as Gregg Gurtiza, 35, the car's driver. The name of the motorcycle operator, a 24-year-old man, was not released pending notification of relatives.

Both were pronounced dead at the scene at 1:19 a.m., said Bryan Cheplic of the city Emergency Services Department.

Police said the motorcycle was speeding west-bound on Kamehameha Highway when it struck the car, which had made a left turn headed toward Camp Catlin Road. The impact caused the car to overturn, police said.

Yesterday's deaths are O'ahu's 43rd and 44th traffic fatalities of 2008 compared with 64 on the same date last year.