Safety lights considered
on site of Big Isle fatality

A church youth pastor says a busy
crossing needs more protection

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By Nelson Daranciang
ndaranciang@starbulletin.com

Hawaii County is considering installing flashing lights embedded in the highway near the crosswalk where a Kona woman was killed after being hit by a police car Sunday night.

Gabina Makil, 66, of Captain Cook, was in the crosswalk headed to evening services at Central Kona Union Church when she was hit about 6:20 p.m. She died Monday.

The police car was driven by on-duty patrol officer Calvin Sasaki, according to Kona police.

Public Works Traffic Division chief engineer Richard Nishimura said traffic on all Big Island roads is increasing. A study showed 2,000 vehicles passing the church along Mamalahoa Highway during Sunday morning services, said Valerie Rounsfull, church youth pastor.

Two years ago the church in Kealakekua started using crossing guards to help people get to morning services from the parking lot across the street, said Rounsfull, but there are no crossing guards in the evening.

The crosswalk is not at an intersection, and there is no traffic light. There is a street light on the church side of the highway, but trees and shadows can make it difficult for drivers to see pedestrians on the parking lot side of the highway, Rounsfull said.

"More lighting would help," she said.

Also, the crosswalk is at the crest of a hill for motorists traveling north. Sasaki was traveling south. The speed limit in that section of the highway is 30 mph.

Rounsfull said it has been a long time since the last incident at the crosswalk when a boy was nearly hit by a vehicle. Kona police cannot remember the last time there was a traffic accident on the highway near the church.

At one point there was talk in the community of installing flashing lights alongside the highway, according to Nishimura. He said the money was supposed to come from a state Safer Communities grant, but he said he has yet to see a formal request.

The embedded flashing lights Nishimura is considering are the same kind used on Pali Highway at Jack Lane in Honolulu last year following several pedestrian accidents.

A bypass road under construction makai of Mamalahoa Highway will also make the crossing safer by reducing the number of cars on the highway, Nishimura said.

Big Island police have opened a negligent homicide investigation into the accident.