Ambulance crash injures paramedics

A city ambulance was damaged when it crashed into a tree yesterday near Kualoa Regional Park, injuring two aboard.

Police said the paramedics reported a truck crossed the center line and forced them off the road at about 1:30 p.m.

A witness reported the ambulance appeared to have substantial damage.

The two female paramedics in the ambulance were returning from a call and there was no patient aboard, an Emergency Medical Services supervisor said. One was taken to the hospital in serious condition and the other in stable condition, she said.

Robber showed knife, victim says

A 38-year-old man landed in jail after holding up a man with a knife in Kakaako Friday afternoon, police said.

The man showed the knife to a 39-year-old man and demanded his bag before running off at about 2:20 p.m., police said. The victim was able to flag down an officer, who located the suspect and booked him for investigation of robbery. Police did not say where in Kakaako the crime happened.

23 busted in drunken driving cases

Honolulu police made 23 drunken driving arrests overnight Friday and early yesterday from Kaimuki to Waianae.

Five of those were given a higher-than-normal bail, signifying they were repeat offenders. Of those, a Pearl City man was also charged with a deadly weapon violation and posted $3,000 bail.

The arrests happened from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. at Plantation Road, Kapahulu Avenue, H-1 Freeway at the Waimalu off-ramp, Moanalua Road and other areas.

Of the 23 arrested, one man was released with no charge and eight were women.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Big Island blaze fanned by high wind

A fast-moving brush fire kept Big Island firefighters busy for about three hours Friday afternoon in lower Puna.

The blaze covered about five acres when firefighters arrived near Hawaiian Beaches about 5:15 p.m., but tradewinds fanned the flames and the fire quickly grew to about 75 acres.

A fire helicopter made water drops while firefighters on the ground fought the blaze with hand tools. The fire was out by 8 p.m. No one was hurt.