CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM Police surveyed the accident scene where two teenage girls were hit while crossing McCully Street (and Algaroba Street) at approximately 4:10 p.m. yesterday. The blue Ford Mustang was stopped in the crosswalk when the hit-and-run occurred in the opposite makai-bound lane.

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Driver flees after
injuring 2 teen
girls on McCully

One victim suffers severe
injuries while walking against
the light in a crosswalk

Police are looking for the driver of a compact car that fled the scene after hitting two teenage girls crossing a busy McCully Street intersection.

The car was described as being beige or gold, with partial license plate "MYR."

Police said the car likely has extensive damage to its windshield.

The victims were taken to the Queen's Medical Center.

A 14-year-old girl was in critical condition with serious head injuries. A 15-year-old was upgraded from serious to stable condition.

Derelyn Sur-Crail, a Wahiawa resident, was at the crosswalk at McCully and Algaroba streets with the girls before the crash and saw them walk into traffic despite a "Don't Walk" signal. She said they seemed to be in a hurry.

After the car struck the two, all she heard were screams.

"They were in pain," Sur-Crail said, her eyes red from crying. "I was in shock, because I was right next to them a while ago. ... I cried because these two girls remind me of my daughters."

Police said the 15-year-old was able to talk last night and would be interviewed for information.

Both victims were students at Kaimuki High School and lived in the area, police said. One lived on Pumehana Street, another on Date Street.

The crash happened about 4:10 p.m.

Police said that before the accident, traffic was backed up on McCully Street heading mauka and the girls crossed heading Ewa against the light. They walked between a Handi-van and a blue Ford Mustang, which were both stopped in traffic. The girls were hit as they started to cross the Waikiki-bound lanes.

Witnesses and police said that after the car struck the girls, it slowed down before speeding off.

At the accident scene yesterday, two white rubber slippers lay on the crosswalk, where the girls had been struck.

Another slipper was atop the blue Mustang, which had been stopped next to where the accident occurred.

McCully residents say the area is known for mostly minor traffic accidents, especially involving drivers headed toward Waikiki.

"The problem with McCully Street is ... people for some strange reason decide to travel it like if they're on a highway to get to Waikiki," said Clifton Takamura, vice-chair of the McCully-Moiliili Neighborhood Board.

"People somehow mistakenly think that McCully is like Kalakaua Avenue or Ala Moana Boulevard. But it's more like a secondary street. It's a neighborhood street."

Takamura estimated there are as many as four accidents on McCully Street every week.

Police spent about two hours at the crash scene yesterday, investigating and interviewing witnesses.

Several portions of streets were closed during the investigation, including McCully Street to King Street, Pumehana Street to Algaroba Street and Wiliwili Street to Pumehana Street. All streets were reopened by 6:25 p.m.

Police are asking anyone with information on the accident or the car involved to call police traffic investigators at 529-3499.