Big Isle fire closes road to N. Kohala

A 300-acre brush fire forced police to close one of two roads heading into North Kohala yesterday on the Big Island.

The fire started about 10:30 a.m. near the 12-mile marker on Akoni Pule Highway, burning dry grass and kiawe on both sides of the road, said Hawaii County Assistant Fire Chief Darren Rosario.

About 20 firefighters yesterday continued to use hoses to fight the blaze on the ground, build fire breaks, and clean up old fire breaks from a previous fire, said Rosario.

Two helicopters were assisting with water drops on the fire, which was not contained as of yesterday.

A cause has not been determined, Rosario said. No one has been injured, and no property has been threatened.

Rear crash crushes man inspecting towed car on H-1

A 39-year-old man died early yesterday morning when he was crushed between two vehicles on the H-1 freeway near the Wet 'n' Wild Hawaii waterpark in Kapolei.

The accident occurred about 1:35 a.m. in the westbound lane of the freeway, about a tenth of a mile west of the Kalaeloa Boulevard overpass.

Police said the man got out of a 2003 red Chevy pickup truck he was driving to check on a tow rope that had become tangled on a Ford pickup he was towing.

While he was bent over to inspect the rope, a green 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan rear-ended the Ford, crushing the man between the two trucks.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The 58-year-old Waianae woman who was driving the van was taken with minor injuries to an area hospital, where she was treated and released.

No one else was injured in the accident.

This was the 29th Oahu traffic fatality of the year compared with 29 at the same time last year.

25-year-old man wanted in Chinatown stabbing

Police are looking for a 25-year-old man who allegedly stabbed a 26-year-old man in Chinatown Friday night.

The suspect allegedly stabbed an acquaintance multiple times about 7:30 p.m. yesterday and then fled.

The victim was driven to the Queen's Medical Center, where he was treated for his injuries and released.

The suspect is wanted for investigation of second-degree attempted murder.

Makaha man arrested for alleged sexual assault

Police arrested a Makaha man at his home yesterday morning for allegedly sexually assaulting a 42-year-old woman.

The woman reported the man sexually assaulted her at 12:30 a.m. yesterday in the Waianae area.

Police arrested him on suspicion of first-degree sexual assault.

Police say suspect used knife to threaten 3 men

Police arrested a 37-year-old Waikiki man Friday night for allegedly threatening three men at knifepoint in Waikiki.

The men were returning to their hostel in Waikiki when they were confronted by the man who allegedly brandished a knife and threatened to kill them, police said.

The men fled and called police. Officers found the man at his Lemon Street home and arrested him on suspicion of three counts of first-degree terroristic threatening.

Convict, 41, escapes while on work furlough

Police are looking for a 41-year-old escaped convict.

The man failed to return from a work furlough program at 4 p.m. Friday. The man, who has a robbery conviction, escaped from the Laumaka Work Furlough Program in Kalihi.

Female athlete from isles badly hurt in car accident

A 23-year-old Hawaii woman suffered severe head injuries in a car accident Friday near Brookston, Ind., according to the Journal Courier of Lafayette-West Lafayette.

Indiana State Police identified the woman as Liane M. Horiuchi, a player for the Purdue University softball team.

Horiuchi was airlifted to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, where she was in critical condition.

Police said Horiuchi was one of four women riding in a 2002 Oldsmobile passenger car traveling north on White County Road 500 West when it went off the roadway and hit a utility pole at about 10:39 p.m., the newspaper reported. Other occupants of the car—including one of Horiuchi's teammates—were two 20-year-olds and a 19-year-old, who were not seriously injured.

It was unclear who was driving the car, the Journal Courier reported.