Two survivors of a deadly Kakaako crash that killed three say the police officer who was pursuing the driver of a speeding pickup truck that plowed into a group of pedestrians contributed to the tragedy by not using his flashing lights or siren.
One of the four people injured, Lianna McCurdy, and her boyfriend, Daniel Verderame (whose best friend was one of the three people who died), filed a lawsuit in state court Monday against truck driver Alins Sumang, Honolulu Police Department officer Sheldon Watts and the city.
The Jan. 28 crash occurred after a pickup truck being pursued by the officer crossed three lanes of traffic on Ala Moana Boulevard in an attempt to turn onto Kamakee Street, plowing into pedestrians at the intersection who were waiting to cross the street.
According to the lawsuit, “At no time did Officer Watts use his flashing lights and continuous siren when he followed or pursued” Sumang, which made Sumang “believe he could keep driving until he came upon an opportunity to evade the pursuit.”
Watts testified in a hearing in Honolulu District Court in February that he turned on his siren and flashing lights when he spotted Sumang make an abrupt left turn off Keeaumoku Street without using a turn signal. He said he followed Sumang on Rycroft and Pensacola streets, lost sight of him at Kapiolani Boulevard, then spotted and continued following him on Kona and Piikoi streets and onto Ala Moana Boulevard. Watts testified that he lost sight of Sumang again after Sumang passed a Honolulu Fire Department rescue unit responding to a call.
Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard said in a news conference two days after the crash that the department was investigating whether Watts followed department pursuit policies. That includes whether he had turned on his flashing lights. She said at one point Watts did “chirp” his siren on and off and that generally, when you lose sight of a suspect vehicle, you turn off your lights and siren.
An HPD spokeswoman said the department could not comment on pending litigation.
Reino Ikeda, 47, of Japan; William Travis Lau, 39, of Honolulu; and Casimir Pokornoy, 26, of Pennsylvania died at the scene of the crash. Pokornoy was Verderame’s best friend. He and his girlfriend were visiting from Pennsylvania and were being hosted by McCurdy and Verderame.
Sumang, 27, is scheduled to stand trial in September on three counts of manslaughter and four counts of assault.
Correction: An earlier version said there were four injured pedestrians.
