Question: I got hit by a car Feb. 8 while biking home from work. While the EMTs were checking me out, the police who were on the scene sent home the person who hit me before I could get her name and insurance information. They told me that information was all in a police report I could get later, and gave me a card with a report number and a phone number. My back was injured, so the next day I called my doctor to get an appointment, and was told I needed to get the insurance information first. I called the number on the card and was told that to get the information I had to go all the way to town, in person with an injured back, to get the report. My wife couldn’t pick up the report. Why does the police process have to be so difficult? Had the officer on scene made sure I’d exchanged information with the person who hit me, or even just told her to stick around until we did so, I could have made an appointment with my doctor.
Answer: Unfortunately, the Honolulu Police Department’s response to your query explained only who is allowed to pick up a police report, not why vital information was not shared with you at the accident scene.
“Copies of police reports are provided to parties involved in the incident. Reports are also provided to persons with notarized authorization, power of attorney, or an attorney with authorization,” said Michelle Yu, an HPD spokeswoman.
By that description, your wife could have picked up the police report if she had a notarized letter from you. However, notarizing a letter would have added another step in an information-gathering process you believe should be streamlined from the get-go.
We had asked HPD whether your experience represented the standard process police follow at traffic accidents. We also asked whether HPD could or would facilitate the exchange of information at the scene.
Two weeks later we have not received answers to those questions. We’ll continue to follow up with HPD, in hopes of providing a fuller answer.
Q: After watching yet another search and rescue team in action at Kaneohe District Park, we were wondering whether any of these people rescued are fined or have to reimburse the city for all their help.
A: No, the rescued people are not charged a fee, at least not for the cost of the rescue. They may be fined for illegal behavior that got them into trouble, such as trespassing, depending on the circumstances. First responders, such as the Honolulu Fire Department, have said that imposing rescue fees would discourage people from calling for help in a timely fashion, ultimately making rescue efforts more perilous for all involved.
Mahalo
We wish to send a big mahalo to Jarred and his friend Aolani for their assistance with our flat tire. On Feb. 14, as we were returning from dinner in Waikiki, we had a flat tire on McCully Street. Since McCully Street was very busy, we turned into a small parking area at the corner of South Beretania and McCully streets. This was a rainy evening, and the streetlight was very dim at this location. While we were attempting to change the flat tire, lying on the pavement, they saw us and stopped to help. They probably saw that we were senior citizens struggling to jack the car up and change the flat. With the help of Jarred the flat tire was changed quickly. Aolani kept us dry with her umbrella. We are so grateful. They mentioned that they were students at Chaminade University on their way home from Ash Wednesday services. We wish them the best and are so thankful for these wonderful young people in our community today! — Mahalo, Yvonne and Paul
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
