Police have opened a negligent-homicide investigation after a 21-year-old man driving a pickup truck crossed the centerline on Kamehameha Highway in Kahaluu late Thursday night and collided head-on with a sports car, killing two people.
Police said a man driving a white 1991 Toyota pickup truck was speeding and may have been intoxicated when the collision occurred.
Police said a female passenger in the 1986 red Corvette died at the scene near Waiahole Homestead Road following the collision, which occurred just before midnight.
The driver of the Corvette, a 55-year-old man, was on his way to the Queen’s Medical Center in extremely critical condition when he died, police said.
The Toyota truck was traveling north on Kamehameha Highway when it crossed the centerline and slammed into the Corvette, which was heading south, police said.
The truck driver was taken in serious condition to a hospital.
The crash marked Oahu’s 23rd and 24th traffic deaths, compared with 27 a year ago.
Police closed Kamehameha Highway for five hours between Waiahole Homestead and Waiahole Valley roads to investigate the accident.
Brush fire in Maui sugar cane field comes within a hundred yards of nearest home
Maui firefighters contained a 40-acre brush fire in a sugar cane field Friday afternoon.
At 3:09 p.m. firefighters were called to a 2-acre brush fire near Holomua Road and Hana Highway.
Strong 20- to 25-mph tradewinds fanned flames that spread the fire swiftly toward homes on Holua and Ulumaika places, fire officials said. But the flames did not get closer than 100 yards from the nearest home.
Eighteen firefighters responded to the fire, which grew to 40 acres, and worked with personnel from Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. to fight the unscheduled sugar cane fire.
The Fire Department helicopter was also called in to conduct water drops, and HC&S personnel cut firebreaks with bulldozers while HC&S water tankers wet down the surrounding areas.
The cause of the fire is undetermined. No injuries were reported.
All fire units returned to their stations, leaving HC&S workers to extinguish the fire.
Maui firefighters also battled a small brush fire in a sugar cane field in Paia on Thursday night.
That brush fire was reported at 7:32 p.m. about a quarter-mile above the Paia Gym on Baldwin Avenue and was quickly contained.
Firefighters, Coast Guard come to aid of distressed boaters off Maui coast
Maui firefighters and the Coast Guard came to the aid of two people whose 18-foot boat encountered engine trouble about 2 miles off the area near Ukumehame beach in West Maui on Thursday night.
The Fire Department received the request for help at 6:55 p.m.
The Coast Guard in Honolulu also got a text message from the boaters saying they had encountered engine trouble and that the boat was now anchored a few miles offshore.
The mariners also reported their phone battery was nearly dead and that they were both hearing-impaired.
When firefighters reached the distressed boat at 7:45 p.m., a Coast Guard crew from Maalaea was already with the boaters and told fire crews they were not needed.
23-year-old man found floating facedown in harbor apparently drowned, police say
A 23-year-old man apparently drowned Tuesday in Lahaina Harbor. He was identified as William Sage Lane.
He was found floating facedown in the harbor at about 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, Maui police said Thursday. He was pulled from the waters, and emergency responders attempted to revive him.
Lane was pronounced dead at the scene.
Witnesses reported seeing a man fishing in the area earlier, police said.
An autopsy is scheduled to determine cause of death.
