Hawaii Personal Injury Blog - Car Crash

Sara Sutton Dies In Single Car Crash In Hilo

Wayne Parsons — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:07:04 GMT

Speed and alcohol may have been involved in the tragic death of Sara Sutton, an 18-year-old Big Island resident.

"Police found the crashed 2000 Honda two-door sedan against a macadamia nut tree at about 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The car crashed some time between 6 p.m. Tuesday and when the car was found, police said.

It appears Sutton's car ran off the side of Maikalani Drive near Amauulu Street in Hilo before hitting the tree.

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Sara was taken to Hilo Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 10:22 a.m.

An autopsy has been done to find the cause of death, and police want people with information about Sutton's activities Tuesday evening to call the department's non-emergency line at 935-3322. When alcohol is involved in a serious accident the police often want to see if the person was illegally served by a liquor establishment.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Maui Mournes Loss Of "Na'i" Kana, "Tuku" Kana and Tyson Latham

Wayne Parsons — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 11:43:54 GMT

In a story today in the Maui News, "Young men mourned by community" a tribute to the three young men is cause for all of us to pause and bow our heads. The three are 20-year-old Na'ilimakuwai'oleokekulamehamehaokaluna'iu'iuokeahua "Na'i" Kana; his 17-year-old brother, Kalamakuokana'auao "Tuku" Kana, both of Waihee; and their cousin, 20-year-old Tyson Latham of Wailuku. Th crash occurred on Kahekili Highway on 30 September.

KANA FAMILY photo courtesy of the Maui News

Na‘ilima Kana poses with his 1-year-old daughter, Kaha-li‘aoku‘uhaola Kana-Yarborough. Kana was 20.

St. Anthony Church holds services for the three in the Keanae YMCA gym. Burial will follow at the St. Gabriel's Church Cemetery. The Maui News story shows the loving nature of the family and highlights the devastating loss.

"I don't know what words to express our heartfelt sympathy to such a loving family," said Kapono'ai Molitau, co-kumu hula of Na Hanona Kulike 'O Pi'ilani, where the Kana brothers' younger sister was a student.

Molitau said the brothers sometimes picked up their sister from hula practice.

"They were very respectful kids," he said. "They would always make sure they would say aloha. If they're anything like their parents or anything like their sister, they're very respectful gentlemen and very loving.

"It's just too soon. They were just getting started in their adult life."

Latham worked in the county Aquatics Division as a summer lifeguard where he was remembered as "respectful, kindhearted and fun" by Fran Yamamoto, an Aquatics Division official. Latham had been talking about going to college.

"They just remember him to be just a great guy to work with," Yamamoto said.

The single car crash occurred on Kahekili Highway north of Wilipohaku Street in Waihee.

Na'i Kana was driving a 2004 Mazda sedan headed north when he lost control of the car. The vehicle crossed the centerline before returning to the northbound lane and continuing off the highway, hitting an embankment, where it overturned and came to rest against a tree, police said.

Lei, ti leaves and candles have been placed at the crash site on Kahekili Highway. According to the maui News:

Na'i Kana worked at Akaku: Maui Community Television, editing the Maui Daily weekly news program. His brother, Tuku, also known as "Kalamaku," was a senior in the Hawaiian language immersion program at King Kekaulike High School. Susan Scofield, principal at King Kekaulike High School, remembered Kalamaku:

"We are all very sad he didn't have that opportunity to fulfill his dreams," she said. "It's pretty sad when a young person goes so early."

School counselors, behavioral health specialists, and Maui Police Department chaplains and crisis workers are helping friends and all students with counseling sessions. Counselors remained available to students through the end of the week, she said. Tuku Kana was still alive in critical condition at the time.

In the Maui News story Scofield said she appreciated the support extended to the school, especially by police.

"They are really angels to us," she said.

Both Na'i and Tuku Kana started their Hawaiian language immersion education at Punana Leo O Maui preschool. Na'i continued in the Hawaiian immersion program until his freshman year of high school, when he was accepted into Kamehameha Schools Maui.

Henohea Kane, lead teacher for Kula Kaiapuni 'o Kekaulike, the Hawaiian language immersion program at King Kekaulike High School, knew both brothers from the time they were young children.

The program is like a family, she said. "To lose two Kaiapuni students whose mother was a Kaiapuni teacher for many, many years is really difficult," she said by e-mail.

"What I remember most about Na'i is his heart that showed in his personality and in his smile," Kane said. "Na'ilima was warm, sweet and very respectful. He was definitely someone who could light up a room when he walked in. Always smiling, always considerate of others, I always saw his mother in his 'ano (personality) every time I was around him, such a nurturing kanaka Hawai'i (Hawaiian man)."

She said Kalamaku, a student at Kula Kaiapuni 'o Kekaulike, was set to graduate in May.

"Kalamaku enjoyed life, he was a very talented singer, such a beautiful and soulful voice!" she said.

Hulali Canha, a classmate and friend of Na'i, remembered his involvement in many school activities at Kamehameha Schools Maui. He played volleyball as a freshman and sophomore, served as sophomore class representative, junior class president and senior class vice president.

Na'i enjoyed working in media, graphic design and video production and helped with the school newspaper and production team, Canha said.

"Everything he did, he did with a passion," she said. "He had so much fun doing what he did while making lifelong friends and memories along the way. His easygoing, fun-loving energy and his smile were contagious."

Friends also said the brothers had a passion for Hawaiian culture and enjoyed working in the loi, or taro patch.

Yamamoto said Latham had just started working as a summer lifeguard in September and worked at various pools on Maui.

"He left a wonderful impression on the public as well as his co-workers," she said.

I have written two articles on this tragedy. The losses will be remembered. These young men will not be forgotten.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

University of Tennessee and NFL Player Jesse Mahelona Dies In Kailua-Kona Crash

Wayne Parsons — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:10:35 GMT

Jesse Mahelona

Football season has just started and Hawaii is football paradise. I'm a football fan and follow the talented local athletes who play in College and the Pros. Today we all are sad to learn that one of the great ones is gone, long before his time. Jesse Mahelona early Saturday morning heading west on Kealakehe Parkway when his 1996 Honda Sedan crashed into a cement barrier and some construction equipment. He was ejected from the car.

Jesse Mahelona was 26-years-old and one of the greatest athletes to come out of Hawaii. No words can express our sadness to his wife and family for this loss. Jesse is survived by a daughter, Karter, and his wife, Brandee Kukita-Mahelona, who is pregnant with their second child. The entire State of Hawaii, and indeed the nation hangs its head in sadness this Labor Day Weekend.

The touching comments from his High School Principal Will Murakami, and football coach Danny Garcia at Kealakehe High School were reported by KGMB News:

"What I will always remember Jesse for is his great smile and his big heart," said Will Murakami, Kealakehe High School Principal. "Here again, this is another example of one of our young shining citizens, a great example to the community being lost too early."

"He was just a joy and a great contributor to both schools and the community, and that's why it's a tragic loss, because he truly was a community leader," Mahelona's High School Football Coach Danny Garcia said. "I still got a picture of him right now in my office."

National news stories spread the sad news of Jesse's death throughout the football world. The Associated Press reports:

Agent Chad Speck said Mahelona died Friday night after being involved in a car accident about a mile from his home in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Speck said Saturday he didn't know any more circumstances of the accident.

Mahelona was drafted in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL draft by the Titans, where he played in 10 games as a rookie. He also spent time with the Miami Dolphins before playing his last NFL game with the Atlanta Falcons in 2007.

In two seasons at the University of Tennessee, Mahelona had 77 tackles and seven sacks.

Mahelona's wife, Brandi, is pregnant with the couple's second child. Speck said there were plans for a fund to support Mahelona's family.

Titans linebacker Stephen Tulloch, who was drafted the same year as Mahelona mourned his former teammate's death on his Twitter account, saying he "lost a great friend."

Jesse's sister died 3 months ago and his comments on MySpace reported in the Honolulu Advertiser are touching:

On a MySpace site dedicated to his sister, Natasha, who died on June 17, Mahelona posted a message that read in part:

"I love you and (cannot) wait to see you waiting at da gates with my baby bradah or sistah and every loved one we once (k)new. (S)ee you in heaven, GOD'S WILL BE DONE."

As the Labor Day Weekend winds down I hope that all Hawaii drivers remember the high risks associated with driving after drinking.

Nationwide Crackdown on Drunk Drivers Targets Women

Drunk Drivers Caused 40% of Traffic Fatalities In Hawaii In 2006 by Wayne Parsons | August 31, 2009 12:16 AM

DUI Arrests Continue Eight Year Trend in Honolulu by Wayne Parsons | February 11, 2009 7:29 AM

States Increase Efforts to Combat Drunk Driving - KHNL NBC 8 News.

Alcohol related fatalities are preventable if only each one of us does the right thing and refrains from diving if any alcohol has been consumed. In Jesse Mahelona's memory let each of us heed the warnings of the police and MADD and others who know the sadness that follows a fatal traffic accident. I read the Comments to the Honolulu Advertiser story and some people are pretty harsh about there being a lot of drunk drivers on Kealakehe Parkway. Regardless of who is at fault, there can be no doubt that we have lost a great man and I for one say let his life, and tragic death _ if alcohol was a factor _ serve as an inspiration and reminder not to drive after drinking.

At Injury Board we are committed to prevention and safety. Jesse Mahelona will not be forgotten.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Whistleblower suit accuses Toyota of concealing evidence in hundreds of accidents.

Wayne Parsons — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:00:18 GMT

The Los Angeles Times (9/1, Hennigan) reports, "Toyota spent years concealing evidence from victims of hundreds of rollover accidents that resulted in death and injury, a former top lawyer for the automaker says." Dimitrios P. Biller of Pacific Palisades, "a former managing counsel for Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc., said in the suit that the company repeatedly forced him to illegally withhold information from opposing lawyers and made him resign in September 2007." In the July 24 lawsuit filed in federal court in Los Angeles, "Biller accuses the world's largest automaker of destroying data in more than 300 accidents that proved vehicle roofs were substandard." Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, "said that if what Biller says is true, the financial repercussions for Toyota could be massive."

Bloomberg News (9/1, Davidson) reports, "Toyota Motor Corp. may face demands that rollover-crash cases it won or settled be reopened, in light of accusations by a former company lawyer that the company hid records sought by plaintiffs." Mikal Watts, a lawyer in Corpus Christi, TX, said, "The petition alleges conduct by Toyota that would cause every case ever resolved by Toyota in the past 10 years to be re-opened," adding, "We intend to ask the courts to re-open these lawsuits."

In a blog at the New York Times (8/31), Christopher Jensen wrote, "In their own court filings, Toyota officials responded that Mr. Biller was a disgruntled employee with a vendetta against the automaker and a history of breaking his word, including a nondisclosure promise made when he left the company. Mr. Biller responded that he was not bound by that promise because the information he was disclosing involved crimes." Biller "was suing for wrongful termination, emotional distress that he said led to psychiatric problems and civil violations of the federal Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization Act."

Class-action filed. CBS News (8/31, Levin) on its website reported, "Toyota has been charged in a class action suit with illegally hiding evidence from plaintiffs in cases stemming from highway deaths and injuries across the U.S." The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, "seeks to represent all plaintiffs who lost or settled cases in which Toyota allegedly concealed evidence. It was filed late Friday by lawyers for Bella Basco and Crystal Ennis, both of whom suffered catastrophic injuries in rollover wrecks when vehicle roofs collapsed."

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Multiple Injuries In Kauai Car Crash

Wayne Parsons — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:52:54 GMT

Multiple people were injured in an automobile accident on Kauai on Tuesday that closed Kuhio Highway according to a statement from Kauai County officials.

The crash happened at about 11 a.m. across from Kauai Community Correctional Center. The roadway was reopened at 2 p.m.

Details of the injuries are unknown and the only facts available are that there were two cars involved.

If you know about how this incident occured I would appreciate hearing from you as I am investigating the case.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

What Car Insurance Should I Buy?

Wayne Parsons — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 03:15:07 GMT

1. PIP (personal injury protection): PIP is what pays for your medical care and wage loss if you are injured. PIP coverage is cheap. Make sure you get the maximum that they will sell you. Your agent should tell you to max this PIP coverage. Five days in the intensive care unit will cost $400,000. If you PIP is $20,000 and the drunk who crashed into you has no insurance, PIP is all you have. Demand the max. Don't be a fool.

2. UM and UIM: Stop. Do not pass "GO". Why? UM is uninsured motorist protection. UIM is underinsured motorist protection. You buy that protection. It is cheap. Why do you buy it? Over 30% of the drivers on Hawaii roads have no insurance. Almost 99% of the drivers have minimum coverage: $20,000. If a minimum coverage driver runs over a working woman with 2 kids, and she has $800,000 in medical bills, a deadbeat husband and no health insurance (please call our congressional delegation and demand a Public Plan for health care reform) she goes on welfare and taxpayers pay. You and me.

3 Bodily Injury - Buy the most that they will sell you.

bodily injury coverage An insurance policy that pays for injuries caused to other individuals in the event of a motor vehicle accident. Described by the notation "a/b" where "a" is the dollar amount in thousands of coverage per person, and "b" is the dollar amount in thousands of coverage per accident. Generally, insurance companies will only the allow purchase of UM/UIM coverage up to the insured's current bodily injury limit.

Your personal assets are at stake. And do you want to live your life with the guilt that you caused a million dollars of losses to a family like yours and you couldn't pay for it? That is why we buy insurance. Not to protect ourselves but to protect those who we hurt..

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Car Crash at Lusitana and Kuakini in Honolulu - Woman Injured

Wayne Parsons — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:50:43 GMT

A report in the Honolulu Advertiser identifies the mother of penelope Tukimaka as the person taken to the hospital by ambulance after a car accident in Honolulu. Mrs. Tukimaka was allegedly on the way to pick up her grandson from school when the automobile accident occured.

Police officers take down insurance information from Penelope Tukimaka, whose mother was involved in a car accident at the intersection of Lusitana and Kuakini streets on Monady.

Kent Nakamura - Honolulu Advertiser

The facts of the accident are not available in the news. If anyone has information on how the accident happened please let me know. The intersection can be seen on the map below: <

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Eighteen Students Injured in Two Separate School Bus - Automobile Accidents On Oahu

Wayne Parsons — Sun, 31 May 2009 10:17:18 GMT

No school bus automobile accidents all year and then two on one day late in May. Hopefully none of the eighteen students are seriously injured although they were taken to area hospitals for examination.

According to the report of the Honolulu Advertiser:

In the first accident, the bus collided with a car about 7:25 this morning at the intersection of Kaaholo and Leia streets in the Village Park area of Waipahu. Four of the students are in high school, while the remaining nine are in elementary school.

The second accident involved two buses. The second bus rear-ended the first and caused about 10 gallons of fuel to spill, said Honolulu Fire Capt. Terry Selig. None of the fuel went into the storm water run-off drain.

Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the city Emergency Services Department, said seven of the students were taken to one hospital and six to another. Five more were taken to a area hospitals in the accident that occurred at 8:52 a.m. near the Waimalu offramp.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Bicyclist Injured On Kamehameha Highway

Wayne Parsons — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:31:01 GMT

Another traffic injury left a bicycle rider in critical condition on Sunday near the place where a motorcyclist died earlier in the day. The bicyclist was injured on Kamehameha highway near a 7-11 Store. Details are sparse and all that was initially reported was that the bicyclist was critically injured when a passing car hit him as he was crossing the road. The crash happened near the Hauula 7-Eleven in the southbound direction. According to KITV News:

"For whatever reason the bicyclist apparently tried to cut across the road and he was struck and taken to the Queen's Medical Center in critical condition," Honolulu Police Department Lt. Darren Izumo said.

Any details on this incident that readers may have are appreciated. Was this a case of the motorist not stopping for a crossing bicycle or was the bicyclist trying to beat the traffic?

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Lahood Pushes Carmakers To Crash-test Child Safety Seats.

Wayne Parsons — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:15:30 GMT

The Chicago Tribune (4/25, Callahan) reported, "U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on Friday said he planned to urge carmakers to crash-test child safety seats in their vehicles and recommend which child restraints are the safest in each auto, responding to a Chicago Tribune investigation." The proposed "new system would be a victory for parents who struggle to find the best car seats for their children." Lahood said, "What I'd like to talk to the car manufacturers about is the idea that they get some seats, they put them in their car, they crash test them so they can tell people 'This is the best seat for this model car.'"

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons