After a week in which two police officers were critically injured in separate traffic-related incidents and a 16-year-old girl was killed in an alleged hit-and-run while on her way to school, Honolulu Police Chief Arthur “Joe” Logan on Tuesday called for the community’s help to keep Oahu safe.
Speaking to reporters at the Honolulu Police Department’s Alapai Street headquarters, Logan said the past week was a “rough one” for HPD and the residents its officers are sworn to serve.
At about 6:40 a.m. Feb. 15, McKinley High School student Sara Yara was killed and a fellow female student injured when a pickup truck hit them in a marked crosswalk at the intersection of Kapiolani Boulevard and Kamakee Street near the school’s athletic field.
Yara is one of 10 Oahu traffic fatalities so far this year, Logan said. Police have also responded to a dozen traffic incidents resulting in critical injuries.
Logan said Yara’s family and friends, through their “shock and grief,” reached out to HPD and other agencies to ask officials to urge drivers and pedestrians to pay attention and observe the traffic code.
“They want her death to be a sobering reminder of the frailty of life and how all of us have a shared responsibility in keeping Oahu’s roads safe,” Logan said. “Along with Sara’s family, HPD is asking everyone to look out for each other. Whether you are operating a motor vehicle, a moped, riding a bicycle or crossing the street, focus on what you are doing and avoid distractions.”
Logan asked drivers to “please slow down and allow extra time to get where you are going,” while advising moped operators and bicyclists to follow the laws for their favored mode of transportation and look out for other vehicles.
“For pedestrians, use crosswalks … and try to make eye contact with drivers,” he said.
Mitchel Yoshiji Miyashiro, a 45-year-old man with a 27-year record of 164 traffic citations and crimes and no driver’s license, had pleaded not guilty to driving without a license nine days before he allegedly killed Yara and hurt her friend.
He turned himself in to police Thursday and was arrested on suspicion of collisions involving death or serious bodily injury, collisions involving bodily injury and first-degree negligent homicide. Miyashiro was released pending further investigation.
“Let’s try to keep this number (of fatalities) down and get everyone home safely,” Logan said.
The chief also took time Tuesday to address two incidents that resulted in two police officers critically injured.
On Thursday, Hokuokalani Patoc, 39, allegedly hit a 45-year-old officer in the head with a hammer before stealing his patrol car in Laie following a traffic stop. The officer was responding to a call shortly before 5 a.m. of two cars driving in a “hazardous manner.”
Police followed Patoc for about two hours before he stopped in front of Iolani Palace, where he was arrested. Patoc made his initial appearance in Honolulu District Court on Tuesday. He is charged with first-degree attempted murder and unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle.
His bail is set at $1 million.
The police officer allegedly assaulted by Patoc has been released from the hospital and is recovering at home, Logan said.
About 80 to 90 HPD officers are assaulted in the line of duty every year, he added. “Any one of those is too high,” Logan said.
At 11:50 p.m. Sunday a Honolulu police officer with 15 years of service was critically injured when he was struck by a vehicle while conducting traffic control for a separate crash in the Harano Tunnel of the H-3 freeway.
A 25-year-old motorist was heading eastbound in the left lane when he allegedly swerved to avoid a vehicle stopped on the roadway. The driver dodged the parked car but hit the 46-year-old HPD officer, pinning him between the driver’s car and a parked vehicle in the right lane.
Logan said the motorist was not injured and was cooperative and gave police a statement. The investigation into the collision is ongoing, but police said speed, drugs or alcohol do not appear to be factors in the crash.
The officer was taken in critical condition to a hospital but has been upgraded to serious condition, according to Logan.
“His path to recovery will be a long one,” he said. “We continue to support both the officers and their families during this difficult time.”
The injured officer is assigned to District 4, which covers Kaneohe, Kailua and Kahuku. A GoFundMe page was created to benefit his wife and children.
State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers President Robert Cavaco told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser in a statement that the police union’s “thoughts and prayers are with both officers and their families in this time of need.”
“These incidents are a grim reminder that the danger in police work comes in many forms. Last week, it was a hammer-wielding suspect who bludgeoned our officer over the head to avoid arrest. This week, it’s a vehicle collision that severely injured our officer who was working a separate traffic collision scene,” Cavaco said. “Our 2,600 police officers statewide knowingly risk their bodies and lives every day to keep our community safe, and that’s something we should never forget. We ask the public that if you see police officers or first responders on the roadways, please slow down, use caution, and drive carefully.”
In the Harano Tunnel incident, police are pursuing two investigations at the same time, standard procedure when an officer is hurt on the job. One probe will determine how the collision between the car and the officer occurred, and a second will review HPD policies and procedures to ensure they are structured to help keep the public and police safe.
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Star-Advertiser staff writer Rosemarie Bernardo contributed to this report.
