FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@ STARBULLETIN.COM
Police said last night's two- vehicle collision in Makaha involved a sedan carrying five people and a Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle carrying a man and a woman. Three from the sedan were killed, and four people were injured.
3 dead in 2-car
crash in MakahaA sedan loses control
after trying to pass
a car at high speed
Three people were killed and four others hospitalized after a two-car accident last night in Makaha.
Honolulu firefighters said the collision was reported at around 7:15 p.m. near the Makaha Surfside on Farrington Highway.
Police said the crash involved a sedan carrying five people -- three males and two females -- and a Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle carrying a man and a woman.
According to emergency crews, the sedan driver lost control as the car was speeding and trying to overtake another car.
Emergency medical workers said three of the fatalities were from the sedan, including two males -- the driver and the front-seat passenger -- who were pinned in the vehicle. Both were in their early 20s.
A female passenger in her 30s was ejected from the back seat of the car and pronounced dead at the scene.
A second female, who was also ejected from the car, suffered cardiac arrest and was taken to Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center in critical condition.
The remaining three victims were airlifted by a military helicopter from the Waianae State Boat Harbor to the Queen's Medical Center in critical condition, although paramedics said they were later upgraded to serious condition.
Police closed down the westbound lane of the highway between Makaha Valley Road and Maiuu Road and contraflowed traffic around the scene.
The crash is among the worst on Oahu this year. Five males, ages 13 to 37, were killed at about 1:30 a.m. March 18 on Kamehameha Highway in Haleiwa.
There have been 79 traffic fatalities so far this year on Oahu, compared with 67 all last year and 80 in 2001, according to Honolulu police.
