Hit-and-run kills Honolulu woman

A 23-year-old woman died at a hospital yesterday after a hit-and-run on the H-1 freeway early yesterday morning.

The Honolulu Medical Examiner's office identified the woman as Emmergine Fuamoli of Honolulu.

Police said Fuamoli, a front-seat passenger in a 2000 Nissan sedan, had been arguing with the 26-year-old male driver at about 4:20 a.m. when she grabbed the steering wheel, causing the car to crash into the center median of the H-1 westbound lanes.

No one, including a 26-year-old rear-seat passenger, was seriously injured in that crash.

Then Fuamoli got out of the car, about 62 feet west of the Pali overpass, and was hit by a speeding 2005 Honda sedan, police said. She was taken in critical condition to the Queen's Medical Center, where she died.

The 36-year-old driver of the Honda fled the scene but was located on Houghtailing Street at about 6 a.m., police said.

He was arrested on suspicion of leaving the scene of an accident, a felony, and negligent homicide. Police released him yesterday pending investigation.

Speed and alcohol were factors in the crash on the part of the hit-and-run driver, police said.

Police also arrested a 20-year-old man from a third vehicle on suspicion of interfering with the arrest. He was also released yesterday.

Fuamoli is the 34th traffic fatality on Oahu in 2008, compared with 50 at this time in 2007.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Man in custody after shooting

A 22-year-old man was in police custody after a shooting that killed a 43-year-old man in Kapahi yesterday, a Kauai County news release said.

The shooting occurred at about 2:50 p.m. in the garage of a Kawaihau Road home after an argument between the two men.

The name of the victim was not available this morning.

Kauai County did not provide further information.

Motorcycle crash kills Big Isle man

A 62-year-old North Kohala man died yesterday when the motorcycle he was driving collided head-on with a pickup truck on Kohala Mountain Road on the Big Island.

Police said the victim, whose name was not released, was traveling north on a 1979 Honda 500 custom motorcycle at about 2:49 p.m. when he failed to make a curve in the road, crossed the center line, and crashed into a 1994 Chevrolet pickup headed the other way at about the nine-mile marker.

The victim was pronounced dead at Kona Community Hospital. The driver of the truck, a 55-year-old Kapaau man, was not hurt, police said.

The victim was not wearing a helmet, police said. Police added that speed was a factor in the crash and investigators were trying to determine if alcohol was also involved.

Police opened a standard negligent homicide investigation and are awaiting the results of an autopsy on the victim.

Anyone with information is asked to call officer Marvin Troutman at 326-4646 ext. 229.

This is the 20th traffic fatality on the Big Island this year compared with 31 at this time last year.

3 drownings reported on Kauai

Three visitors apparently drowned off Kauai yesterday in two separate incidents, according to Kauai County news releases.

A 74-year-old Japanese visitor, who had been swimming in the ocean fronting Lae Nani condominium in Wailua, was brought to shore unresponsive at 2:54 p.m.

Bystanders performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and emergency responders took the man to Wilcox Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was not identified.

At 3:24 p.m. two women were walking along Queen's Bath in Princeville when a large wave swept them out to sea. The husband of one victim dived in to help, but the current was too strong and he returned to shore, the Kauai release said.

Two firefighters swam to one victim and waited until lifeguards arrived on watercraft. Lifeguards found the second victim about 75 to 100 yards away.

Both victims were taken to medical personnel waiting at the beach fronting Princeville at Hanalei.

The identity of the women were not released, but they were described as a 33-year-old woman from Washington, D.C., and her 38-year-old sister-in-law from Parker, Colo.