KAILUA — Police said a driver who struck and killed a 69-year-old woman crossing Kailua Road before dawn yesterday was "under the influence," and arrested him on suspicion of negligent homicide.

The victim, Paena Magarro, was crossing the four-lane road near her Ulumanu Street home to catch a bus to Waikiki, where she worked as a housekeeper to provide for herself and her husband, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer seven years ago.

Magarro was not in a crosswalk, police said, when a Kailua-bound car hit her at 5:18 a.m. She was taken in critical condition to Castle Medical Center, where she died at 5:49 a.m.

Police said speed and alcohol were apparent factors, and arrested the 37-year-old driver of the white compact car. The accident happened 35 feet north of Ulumanu Drive, near the Tesoro gas station, in an area lit by street lamps, police said.

The victim's husband, Loreto Magarro, 77, said his wife may have been rushing to catch the bus.

"She was very hard-working," he said, adding that his wife would often work overtime shifts at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

Paena Magarro rose each day at 3:30 a.m., cooked for her family and took the bus to work. Her favorite activity on her days off was spending time at Ala Moana Center with their 31-year-old daughter, May, her husband said.

She also loved to cook, and would send home-cooked meals to their 41-year-old son in Seattle.

Neighbors yesterday said it is not unusual for cars to speed on that stretch of road, between Castle Medical Center and Kailua town, especially in the evening and early morning when traffic is lighter. There is no traffic signal along that stretch.

"It's supposed to be 35 mph, but people do go faster than that," said Colleen Evans, who lives next door to the Magarros.

Albert Ikeda, who lives across the street from the Magarros, said he always waits until it is light outside to go on morning walks around the neighborhood with his wife.

He said some pedestrians cut across the road when there are fewer cars, but that during the daytime most use the crosswalks.

Ikeda described the Magarros as "quiet" and "nice," and said Paena Magarro always waved when she saw him.

"I heard she was planning on retiring this year," he added. "It's too bad something like this had to happen."

The accident happened eight days after a 93-year-old man was struck and killed while crossing Pali Highway near Dowsett Avenue in Nu'uanu in a marked crosswalk.

According to police statistics, 20 pedestrians, many of them elderly, were killed in each of the last two years on O'ahu. In 2005, 28 pedestrians died on O'ahu roadways.

"This is just very foreboding the way this year has started out," said Barbara Kim Stanton, executive director of the AARP's Hawai'i branch. "We need to have real action and funding to turn this pedestrian safety record around."