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By Ken Ige, Star-Bulletin
Firefighters and police work at the scene of today's fatal, head-
on collision at the Kipapa Gulch bridge. Officers said the van
at right was townbound when a Mililani-bound auto apparently
crossed the center line. The road was closed until 7:30 a.m.

Driver killed, two hurt in
collision at Kipapa Gulch

By Jaymes K. Song
Star-Bulletin

A 21-year-old man was killed this morning and two people were seriously injured in a head-on crash on Kamehameha Highway at Kipapa Gulch.

Police said the man, whose identity was not released, was headed toward Mililani over the Kipapa Gulch bridge when his car veered into the town-bound lanes and collided head-on with a van at 4:38 a.m. He was pronounced dead at the accident scene.

The impact sent the van over the metal guardrail on the Honolulu side of the highway and mangled the sedan. Firefighters extricated a woman, 53, and a man, 54, from the van. They were taken to Queen's Hospital, where they remained in guarded condition today.

Everyone appeared to have been wearing a seat belt, police said.

Kamehameha Highway between Lanikuhana Avenue and Ka Uka Boulevard was closed for about three hours as police investigated the crash, causing minor traffic slowdowns in the Mililani area.

Sgt. James Addison, of the traffic division, said alcohol and speed do not appear to have been factors in the accident. Both vehicles appeared to have been traveling at or near the posted 45-mph speed limit.

The crash is at least the fourth traffic fatality on Kamehameha Highway at or near Kipapa Gulch since 1995.

All the victims were under the age of 23, and their cars all had veered into oncoming traffic.