Kalani High School graduate Logan Fujimoto would have turned 19 years old this month and had plans for a career involving high-performance cars, according to one of his teachers.
Teen speeding victim
is a story of dreams
left unfulfilledBy Rod Antone
Star-BulletinFujimoto was killed this weekend in Kahala after the 1993 Acura Integra he was driving went airborne while on the H-1 freeway and crashed about 40 feet below on Waialae Avenue. Witnesses told police that Fujimoto's car was racing with another car when he lost control of the Acura.
"I couldn't believe that it was him at first," said Napua Kahawaiolaa, a Kalani High School U.S. history teacher who has known Fujimoto since he was a sophomore. "It wasn't until the mom called the school to let us know that it was Logan. It was just a shock."
Kahawaiolaa said Fujimoto had just been accepted to a two-year technical college in Arizona and was planning to leave in August.
Kahawaiolaa said she still remembers when Fujimoto ran into her office to show off his acceptance letter. "He said, 'Miss K! Miss K! I got in! I made it!'"Fujimoto was one of three fatalities on Oahu over the Kamehameha Day weekend. Another accident near Kapaa Quarry Road in Kailua Sunday morning left a 17-year-old Kalihi boy in critical condition. Police said there was one common factor in the separate accidents: Speed.
"For those people who would see the public roadways or highways as a venue in which to race the vehicles, my message is don't," said Honolulu Police Major Jeff Owens. "Don't, for the very simple reason that not only do they put themselves at risk of death and injury, but they're putting other innocent people at risk of death and injury."
So far this year there have been 31 traffic fatalities on Oahu's public roadways of which nine included pedestrian victims, according to HPD. From January through April, Owens said, officers issued 9,935 speed-related citations.
"We've all seen people driving hazardously, weaving in and out of traffic, driving at high rates of speed," said Owens. "Please, for your sake, for those you love and your community, please drive safely."
Police said Fujimoto was thrown from his 1993 Acura Integra upon impact and died later of his injuries.
As part of HPD's investigation of the case, detectives are asking for the public's help to look for the driver of a white Volkswagen Jetta, who witnesses said had been racing Fujimoto while going eastbound on H-1 prior to the crash. Police said whatever happened, Fujimoto ended up losing control and struck a metal guardrail before going airborne.
"At this point we would like to speak to the person (driving the Jetta) as a possible witness," said Owens. "We have nothing to say about that person being the cause of the collision, we simply wanted at this point in time to try and determine what all of the facts are surrounding this terrible, terrible tragedy."
Police said according to witnesses, the driver of the Jetta went to the collision scene on Waialae Road then was seen speeding away. The accident happened Saturday, June 9, shortly after 4 a.m.
Asked if the Jetta driver could face criminal charges Owens answered, "I don't want to eliminate any possibilities, we don't know enough right now to give an exact answer to that."
Owens said he did not have any statistics about racing incidents because they are hard to come by.
He said even when police pull over suspected racers for speeding, those suspects do not usually admit to being part of a race and the other parties involved are long gone.
Along with any information about the white Jetta, Owens asks anyone who witnessed the crash Sunday morning to call HPD traffic investigators at 529-3499, or CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *Crime on a cellular phone.
Friday: A 7-year-old boy was killed after being struck by a Toyota while crossing Farrington Highway in front of the Hawaiian Electric Co. Kahe power plant. Police said the driver was arrested for negligent homicide, driving under the influence and driving without a license. Kamehameha weekend toll
Saturday: A 55-year-old man died after he drove his Honda off the roadway and into a wooden utility pole. Police said speed appears to have been a factor.
Sunday: Witnesses told police that a blue Acura Integra and a white Volkswagen Jetta were racing East bound along the H-1 Freeway when the driver of the Integra lost control and flew off the overpass. Logan Fujimoto, 18, died when after the car landed about 30 to 40 feet below on Waialae Avenue.
