Kekaha girl dies after being thrown from pickup bed

Joanne Apilado, 16, of Kekaha, died Thursday at the Queen’s Medical Center on O’ahu as a result of accidental massive head and brain injuries sustained in a one-car accident in Mana last Saturday night.

Apilado was thrown from the bed of a Toyota pickup truck that was driven by an unlicensed 15-year-old youth. According to police, he is considered an unlicensed driver because he has a learner’s permit that required him to drive only when accompanied by a licensed driver.

Police, meanwhile, have begun a criminal investigation for negligent homicide, according to Lt. Scott Yagihara, Kaua’i Police Department Traffic Safety unit.

On June 8, about 10:00 p.m., the truck was heading west on Kaumuali’i Highway in Mana, between mile marker 31 and 32, when the driver pulled to the shoulder to make an illegal U-turn, according to police.

According to police reports, a 16-year-old male and 16-year-old female riding in the back of the pickup truck were both ejected and landed in the roadway.

An autopsy Friday revealed the cause of Apilado’s death was massive head and brain injuries that resulted when she struck her head on the road after being ejected from the bed of a moving pickup truck, according to Dr. William Goodhue, Jr., First Deputy Medical Examiner for the City and County of Honolulu.

The Queen’s Medical Center admissions history record stated that the driver of the truck was driving in circles, or doing “donuts,” at about 30-40 miles per hour, and Apilado was found 20 feet from the vehicle.

Following the accident, Apilado was initially treated at the Kaua’i Veterans Memorial Hospital emergency room and transported by an American Medical Response ambulance to the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Mana. From there, Apilado was brought by air ambulance to Queen’s.

The 16-year-old boy was also treated at KVMH and was later transferred to Wilcox Memorial Hospital.