Alleged drunken
driver injures 3

A sport utility vehicle hits
two motorcycles that had
been stopped

Three people were injured in Hawaii Kai early yesterday morning when an allegedly drunken driver crashed his sport utility vehicle into two motorcycles, one of which had been reported stolen.

Police said that at about 2 a.m. the driver of a 1991 Chevy Blazer was heading west on Kalanianaole Highway when he collided into the back of two Suzuki motorcycles, which had both stopped on the north shoulder of the road near Sandy Beach.

There were two people on one motorcycle and a lone operator on the other, all three of whom were thrown from the bikes upon impact, according to investigators.

Police said that after hitting the two motorcycles, the Chevy driver stopped briefly, then drove off.

Patrol officers later located the vehicle near Sandy Beach and arrested the driver, a Waimanalo man, for suspicion of operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant and failure to render aid. The suspect's passenger, a Kailua man, was not arrested.

Meanwhile, friends took one of the motorcycle operators to Castle Medical Center in serious condition, according to police. The driver and passenger on the second Suzuki motorcycle were taken to the Queen's Medical Center by ambulance in serious and critical conditions, respectively. The passenger's condition was later upgraded to serious, police said.

Neither the driver nor the passenger in the Blazer were injured.

Police said the motorcycle carrying the lone driver, a black 2004 Suzuki, had been reported stolen. The driver, a Waimanalo man, was later arrested for suspicion of auto theft.

Traffic investigators closed Kalanianaole Highway for hours in both directions from Hawaii Kai Golf Course to Kealahou Street while they investigated.

Police said the Chevy driver also faces possible charges for multiple traffic offenses in addition to charges of drunken driving and failure to render aid.