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Cop/DUI suspect The Honolulu police officer arrested earlier this month for drunken driving following a fatal crash on the Pali Highway was struck by a suspected drunken driver on Wednesday a few blocks from his Kailua home.
struck by truck
Officer Clyde Arakawa receives
minor injuries, this time
as a victim in a suspected
drunken driving caseBy Jaymes K. Song
Star-BulletinOfficer Clyde Arakawa, who remains on vacation since the Oct. 7 car crash that killed 19-year-old Dana Ambrose of Haleiwa, was riding his bicycle on Olomana Street when struck by a pickup truck at 11 p.m., police said.
The truck's driver, Gordon Scruton Jr., 41, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, police said. Scruton, who lives near Arakawa, was released on $1,000 bail.
Scruton had no comment this morning, saying, "Just let it go by."
He was driving a 1997 Ford Ranger pickup on Maluniu Avenue and attempting to turn onto Olomana Street when he collided with Arakawa's bike, police said. Arakawa was thrown into a stop sign.
He suffered minor injuries and refused treatment, police said. They added that Arakawa apparently was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Arakawa, who turned 49 on Tuesday, is not allowed to drive a car because his license was revoked after he refused to take a field sobriety test following the earlier crash.
His 1993 Ford Thunderbird slammed into Ambrose's new Honda Civic just before midnight Oct. 7 at Pali Highway and School Street. Ambrose died at the scene.
Arakawa is still under investigation for negligent homicide and DUI. He has not been charged.
Police also are investigating why Arakawa, a 25-year veteran of the force who was scheduled to retire next month, was given what Police Chief Lee Donohue called "courtesies" in the crash, such as being allowed to roam around the scene while police union officials were getting an attorney to the scene.