Pedestrian deaths area chronic problem in Hawaii. I have written extensively on the subject in the past and today another death has renewed my interest.
KITV News Now reported today that:
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A man was killed after being struck by a van on Likelike Highway.
According to officials, it happened at around 11:20 p.m. Tuesday.
Police say the man was roughly 10 feet north of the crosswalk at Wilson Street when he was hit.
"Witnesses state that the van had the green light at the time the collision occurred," said Lt. David Nilsen from HPD’s Traffic Division. "At this time it does not appear speed or alcohol were factors in this collision."
The man was taken to the hospital in critical condition where he later died.
At this time, he has not been identified.
Police say the driver of the van, a 37-year-old woman, was not injured in the crash.
All Kaneohe-bound lanes of Likelike Highway are open.
Copyright by HawaiiNewsNow 2011. All Rights Reserved.
What is it about our community that leads to these deaths? It seems to me that Honolulu has more of these than other communities. When I first came to Hawaii in the late 60’s I marveled at how cars stopped for pedestrians. It was a matter of state pride that this courtesy was a sign of the Aloha spirit. One thing that has changed is the advent of cell phone use and Texting. There is no evidence that cell phone use was involved in this incident.
The scene is a familiar one for all of us, and it does not, in and off itself, give any hints about why this tragic incident happened. We know that the incident occurred at night and we know that pedestrians are sometimes hard to see. The police seem to have ruled out speed alcohol.
Two families are devastated today by the tragedy, Both the victim’s family and the driver are most certainly in a state of grief. Why did it happen?
