Hawaii Personal Injury Blog - pedestrian

Car Hits 2 Kids On Liliha Street - Did You See It?

Wayne Parsons — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:58:24 GMT

Parents always worry about this call: "your son and daughter are at the hospital after being hit by a car". That is what happened this morning according to the Star Bulletin report.

Two young pre-teen children were taken to the hospital in serious condition after being struck by a car in Liliha this morning. The incident happened near 1739 Liliha Street shortly before 8 a.m. On October 8th.

A representative of the Emergency Services Department, Bryan Cheplic, said that paramedics were able to stabilize both kids and then transported them to a trauma center

We pray that the kids are okay and that the police will figure out how it happened.

No one should interview the kids other than the police and the doctors and nurses. If an insurance adjuster calls, the family should read this article before allowing any interviews or statements:

Do only dishonest people refuse to give a recorded statement? - Steve Lombardi, October 06, 2009.

In most automobile accident cases, key witnesses disappear and never tell the police what they saw or heard. If you saw this accident please call HPD and tell the police what you saw.

Do you understand why people won't talk to the police about injury accidents?

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Hawaii Pedestrian Crosswalk Injuries: Should Mid-Block Crosswalks Be Eliminated

Wayne Parsons — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:30:25 GMT

A jury trial is beginning on 07 October 2009 against the City & County of Honolulu involving a pedestrian injured by a car at a mid-block crosswalk. We have had a rash of crosswalk injury and dietary cases on Oahu going back 10 years. I have written many articles the subject trying to raise public awareness and perhaps get ideas that will prevent pedestrian injury and death at crosswalks.

Mid-block crosswalks are dangerous. I represent a lady who was struck full force at a King Street crosswalk by an elderly driver. It was mid-day, bright and dry. Why do these terrible collisions happen? Hood to hip. The pedestrian always loses.

Here is what the traffic engineering safety experts have to say about mid-block cross walks:

It has been argued that providing signs and markings at crossing locations gives pedestrians a false sense of security.

Transportation Research Board

National authorities recommend against their use at all:

The traditional consensus among traffic engineers is that at-grade mid-block crosswalks are typically undesirable. However, both pedestrian walking behaviors and public demand can create pressures for the installation of a mid-block pedestrian crossing. Grade separated pedestrian crossings, can be costly and are often under utilized after construction.

According to Walking Info studies using National Highway Traffic Safety Administration methods in the early 1970s, and improved in the early 1990s, was refined and used to determine the crash types for more than 5,000 pedestrian crashes in six states.

The results showed that the mid-block events were the second major grouping of crash types and accounted for 26.5 percent of all crashes. Among this group, the most commonly crash type (1/3 of all) was the “mid-block dash” where a pedestrian would run into the street and the motorist’s view was not obstructed. Another 17 percent of these crashes were “dart-outs,” where the pedestrian ran or walked into the street, but the motorist’s view was obstructed until just before the impact.

According to “Law Enforcement, Pedestrian Safety, and Driver Compliance with Crosswalk Laws,” Transportation Research Record 1485.

Although not targeted solely at mid-block crossings, a Seattle study found enforcement was rather ineffective in getting vehicles to stop for pedestrians.

Those are the conclusions, and here are some engineering facts that explain the problem as an engineer sees it:

Even when a mid-block crosswalk is noticed by the driver, proper visual scanning of the crosswalk requires the driver to check both ends of the crosswalk for pedestrians about to cross the road. Even assuming very short glances, on the order of 1 second to each side of the crosswalk and a half second glance back to forward traffic in between, at 11 m/s (25 mph), the vehicle would travel 27 m while the driver was scanning the crosswalk, and it would need another 9-12 m of distance under modest to hard braking to stop the vehicle should a pedestrian be spotted. This means that the driver would theoretically need to notice the mid-block crosswalk 38 m (124 ft) before reaching it, and have a clear view of both sides of crosswalk from that distance to effectively scan for pedestrians. With parked cars blocking the view and in high pedestrian areas, this becomes even more challenging, as the driver needs to pick out pedestrians waiting or headed toward the crosswalk from those walking past the crosswalk on the sidewalk.

Fortunately, mid-block crosswalks provide for the easiest countermeasures such as in-pavement LED systems (IRWL) to highlight the existence of a mid-block crosswalk and pedestrian. Since all the vehicles on the road need to stop, simply illuminating the crosswalk using one of the pedestrian activated in-pavement LED systems has been shown to dramatically increase the visibility of the mid-block crosswalk and the likelihood that drivers will stop for pedestrians (Hakkert, Gitelman, and Ben-Shabat, 2002).

Pedestrian Warning Human Factors Considerations - Christopher Nowakowski

December 2005

My prior articles provide background on the problem in Hawaii. The Hawaii Pedestrian Crosswalk Safety Chronicles: Innovative Solution for Crosswalk Safety - by Wayne Parsons

In the future, cars will carry a warning system that includes forward collision warning, side collision warning, navigation, stopped traffic warnings, and intersection/pedestrian warnings. One topic for future research is how to format these new ITS messages and warnings. Last-second warnings are most effective when they direct what action should be taken.

Thus, for a mid-block crosswalk with a pedestrian present, the most effective warning would be simply “stop” because this tells the driver exactly what needs to be done, but it does not necessarily tell the driver why. However, in order to use this type of warning, the false alarm rate must be extremely low or the warnings will be considered a nuisance and disregarded. When more uncertainty exists and the warnings are able to be given sooner, then the warning format may focus on highlighting the threat.

One advantage of in-vehicle warnings is the potential to use sound. Sound is processed no matter where the driver is looking, but since the driver can’t tune them out, they should be used sparingly. A Driver would be overloaded by beeping and buzzing at every intersection.

Research continues on th subject but as for today should the mid-block crosswalks on Oahu be eliminated? What do you say?

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Another Pedestrian Death In Kona

Wayne Parsons — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:59:30 GMT

The Honolulu Star Bulletin reports another pedestrian death, this time in Kona. The victim was 56-years-old and passed away after being struck by a car while walking along Route 190 in North Kona, at about 3:45 p.m. Friday according to the police..

The man was heading north on the mauka shoulder near Kalaoa Road when a Honda sedan traveling in the same direction drifted onto the shoulder and hit him from behind, police said.

The victim was taken to the Kona Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 6 p.m. The driver of the vehicle, a 58-year-old Kailua Kona man, was not injured.

View Larger Map

The traffic fatality was the 14th on the Big Island this year ,compared with 16 at this time last year. Pedestrian injury and death from automobile drivers continues to be a problem throughout the Islands.

Automobile, Motorcycle and Pedestrian Deaths On Oahu Continue to Rise

The Hawaii Pedestrian Crosswalk Chronicles: Prevention Of Death and Injury

A State of Hawaii Department of Health Report addressed the issue in 2004 when Hawaii was 15th in the country in pedestrian injury and death: Profile: Pedestrian Injuries. It reported that pedestrian fatalities were the 5th leading cause of unintentional death in Hawaii.

I know that pedestrians can be hard to see at night, particularly in dark clothing, but I also know that drivers who are not paying attention often results in their cars swerving onto the shoulder of the roadway and that also is a major problem. Cell phones hopefully will be less of a problem but the cell phone ban is only in effect on Oahu and in Honolulu. This gentlemen was in Kona where no ban exists.

The Injury Board is dedicated to prevention. Lets prevent any more pedestrian deaths in Kona, and Honolulu and Kahului and everywhere else in this beautiful state.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Woman In Wheel Chair Struck By Hit-and-Run Driver on Bishop Street

Wayne Parsons — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:28:17 GMT

Another hit-and-run victim _ a 55-year-old woman in a wheelchair _ is reported in the Star Bulletin today:

A 55-year-old Mililani woman in a wheelchair was struck by a vehicle about 10:20 p.m. Friday in a crosswalk on Bishop Street, near Beretania Street, police said.

The vehicle fled the scene and the pedestrian was taken to the Queen's Medical Center in serious condition with leg and other injuries. Her condition later was upgraded to fair, police said.

The case is under investigation.

If you have any information about this incident please write to me or call the police. I have written recently about other pedestrian injuries and the death of Pelagia Inge on Fort Weaver Road last week. Pelagia Igne's Family Calls for Fort Weaver Road Hit-and-Run Driver's Surrender .

The recent incident happened in the heart of downtown Honolulu where there isn't much traffic at 10 o'clock at night.

View Larger Map

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Pelagia Igne's Family Calls for Fort Weaver Road Hit-and-Run Driver's Surrender

Wayne Parsons — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 16:17:44 GMT

The hit-and-run driver of a vehicle that struck and killed 68-year-old Pelagia Igne last week remains at large. The public is being asked to help bring the driver to justice.

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM

Evelyn Arrocena held a picture yesterday of her mother, Pelagia Igne, who was killed last Friday in a hit-and run crash on Fort Weaver Road. Igne, 68, was struck by a light-colored van at about 5:15 a.m. and died after being taken to the Queen's Medical Center.

In a news story by Rosemarie Bernardo in the Honolulu Star Bulletin today the family of Pelagia Igne asked the hit-and-run driver who killed the 68-year old woman along Fort Weaver Road to surrender. The motorist fled the scene and has not been found by police. Someone on Oahu knows the identity of the driver. We all hope that either the driver will come forward and turn himself in to the police, or that someone else will do the right thing and identify the driver.

I wrote about this tragic loss of life last week before the identity of Mrs. Igne was released.

Fort Weaver Road Hit-And-Run Claims Another Life - Wayne Parsons

To her family I want to give my deep condolences and reassure them that everyone in Hawaii wants justice to be done and will continue to search for the perpetrator!

"That's the worst thing," said daughter Evelyn Arrocena, who hopes the driver will turn himself in. "We want justice for my mom. Her death was so unexpected, so sudden."

Family members of a 68-year-old woman are stunned that a male driver of a van did not stop to help after striking and fatally injuring her last Friday on Fort Weaver Road in Ewa Beach.

We are looking for a man who was driving a light-colored Van on Fort Weaver Road at about 5:15 a.m. who struck and killed Mrs. Igne. She died after being taken to the Queen's Medical Center.

According to the Star Bulletin story Mrs. Igne and her husband, Ernesto, have lived in Hawaii since 2001 after arriving from Ilocos Sur, Philippines, and lived with her daughter and her family. She left home at Aikanaka Road at about 5:10 a.m. and was walking to a bus stop about five minutes away when the Van Driver struck her as she walked.

Mrs. Igne was going to work at Fat Law's Farm near Hawaii Medical Center West. If you were in this area on the morning of the incident perhaps you saw something that can hgelp the police.

Arrocena said her mother enjoyed working at the farm and the camaraderie with other farmers. She had a lot of friends there, who she said described her as a jolly person who always had a smile on her face.

Igne often sent money to the Philippines to her relatives and helped pay for her nephew's college tuition. She also helped care for Arrocena's two younger children, ages 3 and 4, while she worked.

"I'm going to miss her so much," Arrocena said.

Pelagia and Ernesto were married for 43 years. I lost my wife last year to cancer and I know how much a loss like this one is affecting Ernesto. "He is really sad," said Arrocena of her father.

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM Evelyn Arrocena holds her son Andre as she and her father, Ernesto Igne, look over photos of her mother, Pelagia Igne, who was killed last Friday in a crash on Fort Weaver Road. Police are seeking the driver, who fled the scene.

Mrs. Igne is survived by her other daughter, Marilyn Remolacio; brothers Alejandro and Kunos Tangonan; sisters Maria Ilac and Esther Tangonan; six grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.

Services were to be held at 7 p.m. today at Ewa Beach Baptist Church. Family members plan to bring her back to Ilocos Sur on Tuesday, where she will be buried.

If you know anything that could help police find the identity of the driver of the Van please write to me or call the police.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Fort Weaver Road Hit-And-Run Claims Another Life

Wayne Parsons — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 21:18:49 GMT

If you know anything about an older light colored van that hit and killed a 68-year old woman on Fort Weaver Road on Thursday please call the police. The woman was fatally injured when she was struck by the van while crossing Fort Weaver Road in 'Ewa Beach yesterday morning.

Call HPD's Traffic Division at 529-3499

The van driver sped away from the fatally injured woman and has not been found. Hit-and-run drivers are among the most vile criminals because they leave their victims to die. We know that the driver was a male but know little else. The Honolulu Advertiser story reports these facts:

Police said the 68-year-old woman was in a crosswalk as she was crossing Fort Weaver Road near Makule Road when she was struck by the south-bound van at about 5:30 a.m. The woman was taken to The Queen's Medical Center in critical condition, but she later died.

Yesterday morning's fatality was the 38th on O'ahu so far this year, compared with 31 during the same period last year.

According to the KHNL News story:

Traffic investigators gather information on Fort Weaver Road near Ilima Intermediate, after an early-morning walk ends tragically for a 68-year-old woman.

"I felt terrible about that, especially, it doesn't surprise me at all," David Syfert, Ewa Beach resident, said.

Syfert has multiple sclerosis and gets around in a wheelchair. He says he takes great care when crossing Fort Weaver Road.

"Just because traffic is coming at them, it doesn't mean they're gonna slow down and stop," he said. "So they have to make sure to look both ways and believe that any car that's coming, they need to believe that car is gonna try and hit them."

Police say the woman was walking in a crosswalk when a light-colored, older-model van -- possibly a white Dodge Caravan -- plowed into her. The van left the scene. The victim died at the Queen's Medical Center.

"The white line here is not an impediment to anyone running them over," Syfert said about crosswalks.

I have written several articles this year on pedestrian injury and death. Hawaii is one of the most dangerous states in the nation when it comes to pedestrian safety and despite a crack down by HPD on Oahu on jaywalking and on drivers ignoring pedestrians in crosswalks the toll continues to mount. We can do better than this by careful walking, careful driving and perhaps better warning systems because sometimes the pedestrian can be hard to see in the dark.

The Hawaii Pedestrian Crosswalk Safety Chronicles: Innovative Solution for Crosswalk Safety

Our condolences go out to the family of the deceased woman. We hope the perpetrator is apprehended and brought to justice.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

The Hawaii Pedestrian Crosswalk Chronicles: Prevention Of Death and Injury

Wayne Parsons — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 20:56:02 GMT

Yes I am obsessed with crosswalk safety. I know that we as a community can reduce death and injury of pedestrians at crosswalks.

The Hawaii Pedestrian Crosswalk Safety Chronicles: Innovative Solution for Crosswalk Safety

Teen Killed In Yet Another Pedestrian Death On Oahu

In an article about jaywalking titled Watch Your Step - Don’t become a statistic - By Sarah Ruppenthal she talks about the costs in terms of tragic injury or death, as well as costly fines on Oahu and in Honolulu.

According to statewide traffic and pedestrian codes, jaywalking in Hawai‘i is not only illegal, it is also costly. In 2006, Honolulu Police Department (HPD) officers launched an undercover jaywalking sting operation, issuing thousands of citations ranging from $70 to $130 per infraction. If you scoff at the thought of a jaywalking ticket, keep this in mind: HPD’s Pedestrian Safety Division reported an average of 28 pedestrian fatalities and 560 injuries each year throughout the state. Even worse, Hawai‘i has the fourth highest pedestrian fatality rate in the country. And what is the common denominator? HPD said the majority of fatalities occurred because pedestrians failed to use crosswalks or cross at controlled intersections. The statistics may be shocking, but they have done little to deter many of Hawai‘i’s jaywalkers.

In a story on KHNL News by Duane Shimogawa - bio | email in July, he pointed out the fact that Hawaii has a safety problem with pedestrians at crosswalks and jaywalking:

HONOLULU (KHNL) -- Hawaii is one of deadliest states in the nation when it comes crossing the road.

And most of the victims are elderly people.

Just a couple of days ago, an elderly man was killed in Kaneohe trying to cross the street. It's the ninth pedestrian death on Oahu this year.

Kim Beatrice has had too many close calls.

"These cars coming up fast and it's red already, looking to see on the left," she said. "They want to beat those cars across, I make eye contact, or I stick out my umbrella."

But she's not alone. Many other seniors joined her at a safety summit. It's geared to bring more awareness to pedestrians and drivers.

"Well, a lot of people at times could be the inattention of the driver, could be the pedestrian whose inattentive, so these types of summits will help them realize that their safety is basically in their own hands," Honolulu Police Department officer Ben Lloyd said.

Now I understand that the City & County of Honolulu is installing a new crosswalk safety lighting system but I have concerns about the system chosen. I hear that it has had some controversial results on the mainland. Does anyone know about these plans? I would like to hear from you.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Teen Killed In Yet Another Pedestrian Death On Oahu

Wayne Parsons — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 18:08:05 GMT

KHON TV News reports the death of a 15 year-old boy in Waimanalo shortly after midnight on Saturday morning:

Police say a 15 year -old teen from Waimanalo was killed this morning after an SUV hit him. The accident happened around 1:55 a.m. fronting the Waimanalo Town Center. The victim was taken to a local area hospital where he later died. The driver of the SUV, a 47 year-old man also from Waimanalo was arrested for negligent homicide.

Negligent homicide is a misdemeanor charge that is punishable by up to a year in prison. No factors are known yet about how the tragedy occurred. Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of the young boy. Nothing is worse than losing a child!

§707-704 Negligent homicide in the third degree. (1) A person is guilty of the offense of negligent homicide in the third degree if that person causes the death of another person by the operation of a vehicle in a manner which is simple negligence.

(2) "Simple negligence" as used in this section:

(a) A person acts with simple negligence with respect to the person's conduct when the person should be aware of a risk that the person engages in that conduct.

(b) A person acts with simple negligence with respect to attendant circumstances when the person should be aware of a risk that those circumstances exist.

(c) A person acts with simple negligence with respect to a result of the person's conduct when the person should be aware of a risk that the person's conduct will cause that result.

(d) A risk is within the meaning of this subsection if the person's failure to perceive it, considering the nature and purpose of the person's conduct and the circumstances known to the person, involves a deviation from the standard of care that a law-abiding person would observe in the same situation.

(3) Negligent homicide in the third degree is a misdemeanor. [L 1972, c 9, pt of §1; am L 1988, c 292, §3]

If you have any information about this tragic accident please contact my office.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Another Serious Pedestrian Automobile Accident In Laie Leaves 30 Year Old Man in Critical Condition Monday

Wayne Parsons — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:22:44 GMT

Another pedestrian is in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle in Laie according to news reports. The pedestrian was not in a marked crosswalk when he stepped into the road at about 8:30 PM on Kamehameha Highway near Kokololio Beach Park.

The 30 year old male victim was rushed to Queen's Medical Center suffering from head wounds and unknown sources of internal bleeding. The driver of the automobile was not seriously injured. Police are said to have begun an investigation of the case and arrested the driver for negligent injury and they are specifically looking at speed as a possible factor.

The problem of pedestrian injury and death from automobile accidents in Hawaii and particularly on Oahu is alarming:

Automobile, Motorcycle and Pedestrian Deaths On Oahu Continue to Rise by Wayne Parsons

You can lessen the chances of becoming an injury or death statistic by following the Tips given by the Honolulu Police Department:

Honolulu Crosswalk Safety Chronicles - Tips From the Honolulu Police Department About Crosswalk Safety

Both drivers and pedestrians must be on the alert. There are far too many pedestrian - automobile collisions in Hawaii!

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

1st Smart Crosswalk™ system installation in New Mexico.

Wayne Parsons — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:10:43 GMT

I have written much about the epidemic of pedestrian crosswalk injury and death in Hawaii this year and have wondered why a system like the Smart Crosswalk™ system hasn't been implemented in Hawaii. The real costs of a crosswalk death or injury are huge. The suffering of the families is unimaginable and tragic. And then there are the millions and millions of dollars lost in wage earning capacity, medical expenses and costs that are often borne by taxpayers through public assistance, Medicare and Medicaid. In cases I have handled the costs for a single person injured by a driver while in a crosswalk can easily exceed $1 million for medical alone. Collisions between cars and people are never minor.

In a story reported recently in The Alamogordo Daily News by Duane Barbati, the new Smart Crosswalk™ system has been installed at a college crosswalk to prevent the tragic injury and death statistics in New Mexico that Honolulu is also experiencing in 2009.

City of Alamogordo Public Works crews will begin installing a Smart Crosswalk system on Scenic Drive on Monday in front of the New Mexico State University-Alamogordo Student Services building.

The new crosswalk system is the first of its kind to be installed in the state.

Public Works director Brian Cesar said crews may divert traffic in both the north and southbound lanes of Scenic Drive.

"We think the installation will take from Monday to Friday," Cesar said. "It's the first one that we've installed."

The system involves installing electrical cables into the pavement, along with 12 in-pavement amber LED strobe lights, two four-foot tall automatic sensor crosswalk activation poles, a control unit, a solar cell panel and a push button crosswalk activator.

The equipment costs about $25,000, with an installation cost of about $5,200. That is a huge savings over what an injury or death will cost and most of all it will save the heartache of these tragic injuries and deaths. So why isn't the Hawaii DOT doing this in Honolulu? Studies on crosswalk and pedestrian injuries go back over 5 years. You would think that Hawaii government officials would be all over this new technology. Where are they when we need them?

NMSU-A president Dr. Cheri Jimeno said the university's primary concern is the safety of its students and faculty members.

"As we continue to grow, we found more students and faculty

having to park across the street," Jimeno said. "We were able to work with the city to construct a crosswalk. These systems are very effective in making a safer crosswalk for our pedestrians."

The system is activated by a pedestrian walking between the two automated activator poles which trigger the in-pavement LED lights to strobe to warn approaching traffic that a person is crossing the street. A solar panel provides power for the lights, along with a battery backup system. A pole on the opposite side of the crosswalk has a button for manual use with crosswalk signage and a braille faceplate for visually impaired people.

LightGuard Systems, a California-based company, manufactures the Smart Crosswalk systems. The company was founded in 1993.

LightGuard has sold about 2,000 systems that are being used nationally, as well as in Canada and Guam.

The can be activated 24 hours a day.

LightGuard spokesman David Hauser said the system is especially effective during the peak danger times twilight hours.

"Our lights are positioned at the eye level of approaching motorists," Hauser said. "They strobe at a rate to hold the attention of the driver. The benefit is the pedestrian gets to go home for dinner that night."

He said he doesn't want to give pedestrians a false sense of security.

"We still always recommend that pedestrians exercise caution when crossing the street," Hauser said. "They should not assume by pushing a button that it's safe to cross. Our systems are an enhancement. Pedestrians need to secure they're own safety."

For more on the Alamogordo story you can intact Duane Barbati at dbarbati@alamogordonews.com.

My prior articles on Hawaii crosswalk injury and death describe the Safe Crosswalk System (IRWG):

The Hawaii Pedestrian Crosswalk Safety Chronicles: Innovative Solution for Crosswalk Safety by Wayne Parsons

Honolulu Crosswalk Injury Chronicles: Kalihi Man Seriously Injured Crossing North School Street by Wayne Parsons

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons