Fatal high-speed Yesterday's car crash in Waikele was the second fatal accident in a month involving a pursuit by Honolulu police Sgt. David Hernandez.
chase was HPD
officer’s second
within a month
Sgt. David Hernandez was
involved in an incident in Ewa July 4Staff and wire reports
Hernandez was one of two officers pursuing a stolen vehicle just after midnight yesterday when the driver slammed into a light pole, was ejected from the vehicle and died.
The Honolulu Medical Examiner has yet to identify the dead driver. Honolulu police believe the driver is a man in his late teens.
The owner of the car called 911 to report her car being stolen from her townhouse on Paano Street in Waipio at 11:58 p.m. Tuesday.
"Seven minutes later, an officer spotted the white Honda Civic on Kamehameha Highway," Honolulu Police Chief Lee Donohue said.
He said another officer joined in the pursuit soon after.
Donohue said he did not know how fast the officers were traveling but noted that the suspect vehicle was traveling at "a high rate of speed."
The officers continued their pursuit when the vehicle turned onto Lumiaina Street, but Donohue said they slowed down when the vehicle then turned onto Pulelo Street because they were approaching a residential area and because the roads were wet.
"After they negotiated the turn, they traveled down the road, (and) they lost sight of the vehicle," he said. "They came upon the scene maybe 15 to 30 seconds after the crash."
Donohue said the officers followed all policies and procedures. Even so, Hernandez and the other officer have been placed on a three-day administrative leave while the incident is investigated.
Hernandez, 50, also was involved in a pursuit on Old Farrington Highway in Ewa on July 4. A 58-year-old man died fleeing Hernandez when he lost control of his car, which left the roadway and rolled over.
Star-Bulletin reporters Rod Antone and Nelson Daranciang and the Associated Press contributed to this report.