Investigation is delving
into sheriffs’ fatal pursuit

A fleeing motorist plunged
to his death from the H-1 freeway

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By Nelson Daranciang
ndaranciang@starbulletin.com

The state Department of Public Safety is investigating the death of a 39-year-old man who plunged to his death on Nimitz Highway from the H-1 freeway viaduct Tuesday while trying to flee two state deputy sheriffs.

"We want to make sure the sheriffs were doing their jobs properly," said Ted Sakai, state Department of Public Safety director.

Sakai said the man was driving his pickup truck erratically on Lagoon Drive about 8 p.m. Tuesday and had even crossed the median when the deputies tried to get him to pull over.

The man then led the deputies on a chase through the Mapunapuna industrial area, hitting several parked cars before crashing his truck into a guardrail on Sand Island Access Road, Sakai said.

The man then restarted his vehicle, drove it toward Hono-lulu Airport in the wrong lanes of traffic on Nimitz Highway and eventually crashed on the H-1 freeway express lane offramp.

The man exited his vehicle and tried to jump from the offramp to the viaduct when he fell to Nimitz Highway below.

The deputies called Honolulu police, but the pursuit happened so quickly that it was over before police arrived, Sakai said.

Police have classified the case as an unattended death.

The deputies are assigned to the airport detail and were in a marked vehicle.

Deputies routinely patrol Lagoon Drive, Elliott Street and Aolele Street, which fall within airport property, Sakai said.

Deputy sheriffs took over law enforcement duties at Honolulu Airport from the Honolulu Police Department in 1999.