Snake, ferret join illegal-animal haul

A road crew killed a 2-foot snake Wednesday morning while doing maintenance work along Nimitz Highway near the Honolulu Airport.

State Department of Agriculture plant quarantine officials recovered the carcass of the snake after it was reported to police at 8:45 a.m.

Janelle Saneishi, Agriculture Department spokeswoman, said plant quarantine officials are trying to determine the snake’s species and gender. She said a road crew working the westbound side of Nimitz Highway near Valkenburgh Street reported seeing the snake and apparently killed it with a weed whacker.

Also, agriculture officials reported that an illegal ferret was captured by a resident early Sunday morning in the parking lot of Coqui’s Hideaway Restaurant & Sports Bar in Hilo. The animal was turned in to the Hawaii Island Humane Society later that day and then given to inspectors at the Hilo office of the state Department of Agriculture on Monday. The ferret was flown to Honolulu Tuesday and is at the Plant Quarantine Branch, where it may be used for educational purposes until it can be shipped out of the state.

Motorcyclist dies in crash

A 21-year-old Lahaina man died Tuesday after the motorcycle he was driving crashed into a parked truck in Kaanapali.

Maui police said speeding is suspected to be a contributing factor in the crash that killed Wayan DeCosta of Honokowai just after 3:30 p.m.

Police are looking into whether drugs or alcohol were also factors into the accident, which happened on Honoapiilani Highway north of Kaanapali Parkway just after 3:30 p.m.

Police said DeCosta was heading toward Napili on Honoapiilani Highway, traveling between 80 and 100 mph and weaving in and out of heavy traffic.

DeCosta, driving a 2001 gray Yamaha motorcycle, entered the bicycle lane to pass a van on the right and crashed into a parked 1991 Isuzu pickup truck.

He was pronounced dead at Maui Memorial Medical Center at 4 p.m.

Police said he was not wearing a helmet.

It was Maui County’s second traffic fatality this year, compared with none at the same time last year.

Person sought for state panel

The state is seeking nominations for a person to fill an impending vacancy on the seven-member Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission. The vacancy is for the commission’s Native Hawaiian Organization representative seat.

The seat is currently held by Kai‘ulani Murphy, whose two-year term ends June 30, 2012. Prior holders of the seat include Charles Burrows, Isabella Abbott and Nalani Kanaka‘ole.

Instructions on submitting an application are at the state Boards and Commissions website: http://hawaii.gov/gov/about/boards-commissions.html.