Drugs suspected in crash on Nimitz that injured 5

A 20-year-old Pearl City woman fleeing from police drove her Honda Civic into a car carrying five people, including a toddler, at a stoplight on Nimitz Highway on Friday night, police said.

At about 9:20 p.m., a patrol officer saw the woman's black Honda Civic driving erratically and fail to stop at a stop sign on Nimitz Highway, police said. The woman sped off and crashed into a Mitsubishi waiting for a red light on Waiakamilo Road, police said. The woman fled on foot, but was caught by officers nearby.

The five occupants of the Mitsubishi were taken to the Queen's Medical Center. The 19-year-old male driver and two female passengers, ages 19 and 11, were listed in fair condition. Two other passengers, an 11-year-old girl and a 1-year-old boy, were initially listed in serious condition, then improved to fair condition.

Police said speed and drugs were likely factors in the collision.

2 home fires are deemed accidental

Fire investigators determined that two separate fires that damaged three homes recently were both accidental.

On Jan. 19, a child playing with a lighter started a fire in the bedroom of a Waipahu home at 94-1261 Huakai St., leaving 19 people homeless, said Honolulu fire Capt. Terry Seelig.

On Jan. 13, a Moanalua Valley house fire started with a malfunction in the home's electrical wiring, Seelig said. The fire destroyed the 1389 Ala Hoku St. home, causing $370,000 in damage and $300,000 damage to a home next door.

Apparent road rage leads to man's arrest

Police arrested a 41-year-old Enchanted Lake man who punched a 24-year-old man in an apparent case of road rage in Kalihi.

About 8:05 a.m. Thursday, the Enchanted Lake man got out of his vehicle after the traffic incident on Likelike Highway and Alu Street and punched the victim through his open driver's side window, police said.

He went back to his vehicle, but then came back again and punched the victim's driver's side window, shattering the glass and injuring the victim, police said.