Elderly woman dies after bus accident

An 85-year-old woman died yesterday after she was hit by a city bus in Chinatown.

The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office identified her as Bi Ing Leu, 85, of Honolulu. An autopsy will be performed today.

Leu, who had a Chinatown address, entered a crosswalk at Hotel and River streets and stepped directly into the path of the bus, which had a green light, police said. The driver, a 43-year-old man, was heading Diamond Head-bound on Hotel Street and stopped after hitting the woman, police said.

She was taken to the Queen’s Medical Center in critical condition and died at 11:20 a.m., police said.

The driver, who submitted to a blood test, has been employed with TheBus for 10 years.

Traffic investigators shut down River Street between Pauahi and North King streets for 2 1/2 hours to investigate.

It was the fourth fatality in 2011 compared with one at this time last year. 

Trapped mechanic frees himself

A heavy equipment construction mechanic freed himself yesterday morning after being briefly trapped under machinery in Mapunapuna.

Firefighters were summoned at 9:15 a.m. to Bacon Universal Co., 918 Ahua St.

However, when firefighters arrived at the scene, the mechanic had already freed himself, said Capt. Terry Seelig, Fire Department spokesman. As a precaution, paramedics took the man to a local hospital for examination.

Suspect wields machete in Kaneohe

A man with a machete attacked another man Wednesday afternoon on a Kaneohe street, police said.

The men are acquaintances who have a history of harassment between each other, police said. Both men have restraining orders against the other prohibiting contact, a police report said.

At about 3:20 p.m., a 28-year-old Kahaluu man brandished a machete and struck the hood of a 34-year-old man’s vehicle.

The Kahaluu man allegedly tried to stab the victim with the machete through the vehicle’s passenger window. The victim drove away unharmed and reported the incident at the Kaneohe police station, police said.

Police arrested the Kahaluu man when he showed up at the Kaneohe police station a few minutes later to also report the incident. Police said he was arrested for alleged attempted murder, criminal property damage and unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle. He was released pending investigation.

Motorcyclist in fatal crash is identified

Big Island police identified the 20-year-old man who died Wednesday night from injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash as Dalton B. Cates of Kailua-Kona.

The accident occurred at Highway 190 and Makalapua Road in North Kona just before 6:28 p.m.

Kona patrol officers said Cates was driving a 2004 Yamaha motorcycle and traveling north on Route 190 when he collided with a 2000 Chevrolet four-door sedan, which was making a left turn from Makalapua Road onto Route 190.

Big Island firefighters said Cates was thrown from his motorcycle, which also struck a guardrail and went down an embankment. Police said he was wearing a helmet.

Cates and the Chevrolet driver, a 30-year-old Kailua-Kona man, were taken to Kona Community Hospital. Cates was pronounced dead at 7:25 p.m.

The Chevrolet driver was treated and released with minor injuries.

Witnesses said that the motorcycle was speeding before the crash.

Police opened a negligent-homicide investigation and closed Highway 190 between Hinalani Street and Kaloko Drive Wednesday night while they investigated the crash.

An autopsy was ordered to determine the cause of Cates’ death.

This is the second traffic fatality on the Big Island this year compared with one at this time last year.

Officials name woman found after home fire

A woman whose body was found after a Koloa, Kauai, house fire last month has been identified as Lillian Lumacad, 86.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Kauai officials say.

Firefighters discovered Lumacad’s body after extinguishing the house fire on Dec. 26, officials said.