Two people were killed in separate traffic-related accidents over the Fourth of July holiday, including O'ahu's eighth pedestrian fatality of the year.

The first death occurred Friday in Wailea, Maui, when James R. Sanchez, 24, died after a 2003 Toyota pickup truck he was riding crashed on Old Makena Road, four-tenths of a mile south of Kaukahi Street in Wailea, at 11:25 p.m.

Sanchez, who was from Waikapu, died at the scene, police said.

Police said two other people were in the vehicle when it crashed, a 28-year-old Ha'iku man and a third person, who is reported to have left the scene and is now being sought by investigators. The Ha'iku man was injured, but was treated and released at Maui Memorial Medical Center.

Maui police said they are investigating whether alcohol, drugs, speed and improper seat-belt use were involved in the single-vehicle wreck.

The death was Maui's 12th traffic fatality this year, compared to 14 at the same time last year, police said.

Then at 10:25 a.m. yesterday, a 27-year-old man died from injuries he suffered when he was hit by a car Friday night while attempting to cross Kailua Road near Ulu'oa Street.

Police said the man, who was in a crosswalk, was struck by a white Ford van about 9:10 p.m. and suffered head, torso and leg injuries.

He was taken to The Queen's Medical Center, where he died.

Police said the man, whose name was not released, was from Hilo.

The 87-year-old Kane'ohe man who was driving the van was not injured, police said.

Police vehicular homicide investigators concluded that speeding and the use of alcohol or drugs were not factors.

The victim was the eighth pedestrian fatality of the year, compared with 12 people who had been killed as of July 5 of last year.

Meanwhile, fire officials reported it was a relative trouble-free holiday. The number of fireworks-related calls on July 4 were down 60 percent from the previous year.

FIRE CALLS DOWN

Of the 56 fire calls the department handled on the holiday, 26 were fireworks-related.

A year ago, Honolulu firefighters handled 81 fire calls on the holiday. Of those, 60 are believed to have been fireworks-related, said HFD spokesman Capt. Terry Seelig.

That's a drop of 34 calls.

"It is less this year," Seelig said. "And we're appreciative of the fact that people are perhaps being more careful. We're hoping that it's because people were listening ... and realizing that fireworks are dangerous."

Seelig said that while the department is pleased that the number of calls was down, he pointed out that even with the drop, this year's figure is still higher than the number of calls on an average summer day.

Emergency Medical Services reported that this holiday was also relatively safe.

A young man in his late teens or early 20s walked into the Waialua EMS station at 2:24 a.m. yesterday with minor burns to his hands due to fireworks. The patient was treated and released, EMS reported.