KAPA‘A — A Kapa‘a man died from injuries suffered in a hit-and-run on Sunday evening, authorities said.
The traffic crash, which involved a 64-year-old pedestrian and a pickup truck, happened on Kukui Street shortly before 9:45 p.m. The pedestrian’s name was not released.
“According to a preliminary report, a lifted, dark-colored Toyota Tacoma turned left from Kuhio Highway onto Kukui Street and struck a pedestrian who was crossing Kukui Street,” the Kaua‘i Police Department said in a statement.
“The pedestrian was treated on-scene before being transported to Wilcox Medical Center (in Lihu‘e) in critical condition, where he later died. The driver of the truck fled the scene and has not been located.”
The traffic crash closed Kukui Street in both directions for approximately 90 minutes while the police department’s Traffic Safety Section conducted an on-scene investigation. The investigation is ongoing.
The incident marked the second time in 10 days that a hit-and-run happened on Kaua‘i.
A Kapa‘a man was arrested for an alleged hit-and-run on March 17 that resulted in a bicyclist suffering critical injuries.
Kib Ho‘opi‘i, 45, was taken into custody a short while after the Toyota Tundra pickup he was driving rear-ended a bicyclist that was traveling westbound on the shoulder of Kaumuali‘i Highway in the vicinity of Maluhia Road. The bicyclist was identified as a 65-year-old Lithuanian woman.
Ho‘opi‘i allegedly fled the scene of the crash, which happened at about 1:30 p.m. on March 17, prior to the arrival of first responders.
“Upon arrival, responding firefighters from the Kalaheo fire station found the bicyclist, who was wearing a helmet, with severe injuries to her leg and injuries to her head,” the Kauai Police Department said in a statement.
The woman was treated on-scene before being transported to Wilcox Medical Center, and then later taken via medevac to O‘ahu. She was listed in critical condition at the time.
Witnesses to the crash described the truck involved in the incident, which led police officers to locate the driver a short time after the crash. Ho‘opi‘i was then arrested. He faces charges of negligent injury in the first degree, being involved in an accident involving death or serious injury, reckless driving and inattention to driving.
Anyone with information about the crash on Sunday, March, 26, is asked to contact the Traffic Safety Section at 808-241-1617. People wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers Kauai at 808-246-8300 or visit www.cskauai.org.
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Wyatt Haupt Jr., editor, can be reached at 808-245-0457 or whaupt@thegardenisland.com.
