The medical examiner’s office has identified the 56-year-old woman who died Saturday after she was hit by a vehicle while crossing Vineyard Boulevard as Benida Wellens of Honolulu.
Police said Wellens was struck near the intersection of South Vineyard Boulevard and Punchbowl Street just after 5 a.m. A 54-year-old male was traveling east on Vineyard Boulevard when he hit her.
She was taken in critical condition to the nearby Queen’s Medical Center, where she later died. An autopsy will be conducted to determine cause of death.
Police shut down Vineyard Boulevard from Punchbowl to Queen Emma Street for more than two hours on Saturday morning while they investigated the accident.
This is Oahu’s 20th traffic death, compared with 26 at this time last year.
Crash victim was Hilo resident
Hawaii island police have identified the woman killed Friday in a traffic collision in Volcano as Crystal Mercado-Lopez of Hilo.
According to a Hawaii County Fire Department report, Mercado-Lopez was driving a small sedan on Highway 11 when the vehicle was struck by a truck.
Mercado-Lopez’s infant daughter was in a car seat at the time of the collision and was transported to a local hospital.
The driver of the truck was not injured.
The cause of the incident is under investigation.
Escapee caught after 17 months
Kauai police on Friday captured a man who escaped from a Kapaa transitional home in January 2015.
Orlando Manguchei, 45, was initially serving time for terroristic threatening and third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug.
Kauai vice officers found Manguchei at 3 p.m. Friday in Kalaheo, Kauai County officials said Saturday by email. Upon noticing the officers, Manguchei tried to run but was caught and booked at the police cellblock.
Police said he was in possession of a handgun. The gun and a Dodge truck were seized as evidence pending a search warrant.
Officers also found two dogs inside the truck and another pair of dogs near the area that are believed to be four of the six dogs that were reported stolen by the Kauai Humane Society in May. Police returned all four dogs to the Humane Society.
