Waimanalo
crash shuts
highwayPolice say a vehicle involved
in the weekend collision may have
been stolen early yesterday
A head-on collision involving an alleged stolen car and a pickup truck seriously injured the two drivers and closed Kalanianaole Highway near Sea Life Park for more than three hours yesterday morning.
Drugs and speed may have been factors in the accident, police said.
According to police, a 36-year-old Kaneohe man driving a stolen Honda Accord crossed the center line and collided head-on into a Nissan pickup truck near the Makai Pier about 8 a.m.
The driver of the pickup, a 48-year-old Kapolei woman, was taken to the Queen's Medical Center in critical condition. She was not wearing a seat belt, police said. The driver of the car was taken to Queen's in serious condition but his condition worsened and was downgraded to critical.
Both drivers received multiple head and bodily injuries, police said. Neither vehicle had passengers.
After the accident, police contacted the owner of the car, who was unaware it had been stolen, police said.
The car had been last seen about 2 a.m. yesterday at a Leeward Oahu address, according to police.
Police shut down both lanes of the highway at the Makai Pier until 11:45 a.m. Motorists were turned around at Makapuu and Kaiona Beach Park near Bell Street.
The shutdown caused the already heavy Memorial Day weekend traffic coming into Waimanalo from the Kailua side to back up past the entrance into Waimanalo.