A heavily used crosswalk in the vicinity of Monday night’s fatal pedestrian accident — the first this year on Oahu — was mistakenly removed May 9 by the city, a Hawaii Kai legislator says.
State Rep. Gene Ward (R, Hawaii Kai) wrote Mayor Kirk Caldwell on Tuesday asking him to reinstate the Hawaii Kai Drive crosswalk, used by residents and near two bus stops. It also connects the Oahu Club and the KCAA Preschool.
The pedestrian, struck by a 2013 Jaguar driven by a 24-year-old man, was identified by the Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office as 86-year-old Maqbul ur-Rahman of Hawaii Kai.
Police Sgt. Nathan Hee, who is investigating the accident, said the 86-year-old was not in a marked crosswalk when he was crossing Hawaii Kai Drive at about 6:45 p.m. from west to east toward the condominiums in the area of 6770 Hawaii Kai Drive.
“The closest crosswalk was over 200 feet away,” said Hee, who is with the Vehicular Homicide Section.
Hee said street lighting was also a possible factor since large, overhanging tree branches cast a shadow over the area the pedestrian was crossing.
Police said the victim sustained injuries to his head, legs and arms and was taken in critical condition to The Queen’s Medical Center where he died.
“We’re not even a week in, and we already have one fatal and two critical motor vehicle accidents,” HPD Lt. James Slayter said. “It’s disheartening because we can’t have another year like last year.”
There were three traffic fatalities on Oahu at this same time a year ago.
Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board member Greg Knudsen said the city told the board that the closure was a mistake.
However, had that crosswalk not been closed, there was “at least a chance that he would have used it,” since Knudsen estimates it was about 100 feet away.
Ward said his constituents were told an environmental impact statement must be completed before its reinstatement, then it would no longer be needed, and “now it will take two years for the crosswalk to comply with ADA (American With Disabilities Act) regulation.”
He wrote the mayor, “Let’s not allow bureaucratic red tape to get in the way of human life. Let’s not allow government inefficiency to cause another preventable death.”
A spokesman for the city declined to comment Tuesday.
