A 42-year-old Honolulu man who collapsed last month after standing on an iron electrical access panel next to a Kapiolani Boulevard sidewalk died from "cardiac arrythmia due to low-voltage electrocution," the Honolulu Medical Examiner has determined.

Michael Perron Jr. died on Feb. 18, but a cause of death was deferred pending more investigation.

City spokesman Bill Brennan has said that an inspection of the access box where Perron stood found "there was an insulated connection where parts of the insulation appear to have been worn down." He added that the "insulated electrical wires in that box feed electricity to streetlights in the area."

Though the city did not say whether the wiring caused Perron's death, they did inspect other electrical boxes on or near sidewalks.

Perron, 42, was initially taken in critical condition to an area hospital Feb. 18 after standing on an access box at the intersection of Kapi'olani and University avenues and then leaning against or touching a streetlight. He was later pronounced dead. A witness told police the man suffered an electrical shock from the access box, which is just off the crosswalk.

Experts say that if the access box had live wiring with faulty insulation, then touching the streetlight while standing on the box would have caused electricity to course through the man's body. The city has said it knows of no other case on O'ahu in which someone died from coming into contact with a streetlight or access box.

Such deaths have been seen on the Mainland, however.