I saw a horrible accident! Honolulu’s streets are dangerous for pedestrians and bikers
I just saw a horrible accident. It happened at around 8 pm, Saturday, October 4, 2008, at the intersection of Mahukona Street and Kapiolani Boulevard in Honolulu. I just came out of a restaurant and waited at a traffic light. At that time, a charter bus from the company Superstar was turning right and suddenly I heard a loud bang. At first I thought that it hit another car. When I crossed the street, I could see the front of the bus and saw a man or woman lying under the front of the bus. I didn’t look closer, but I think it was a person in a wheelchair, who was crossing while green. The bus driver didn’t see the person. The bus would have only been allowed to turn right in case there is no pedestrian crossing. But I guess the bus driver was sleeping and didn’t see the wheelchair driver. How horrible. What surprised me was that even though I saw people calling an ambulance right away, it took about 5 minutes for the first fire truck and ambulance to arrive, even though the fire department is right next to the intersection. I wonder, why the heck can a bus driver hit a pedestrian right in the middle of Honolulu at a lighted intersection, at a time when many pedestrians are still out. I only wish that the person is still alive.
How many more people have to die or get injured on Hawaii’s streets before there is a stricter law that punishes the reckless drivers. Today for example, I read an article in the newspaper about a young man who, when we was 17 years old, was driving under the influence plus he had consumed drugs and hit another car because he was speeding. He killed the two women who were in the other car. He was sentenced to just two years in prison and had to pay a fine of just $6,000. In my eyes, that’s nothing. So that means that one human being is just worth $3,000 and one year in prison?
An hour ago, this person who just got hit was still alive and well. He or she didn’t know that an hour later, he or she would be seriously injured or dead. How do you feel to know that the next one might be you? How long will it take until Hawaii’s law changes so that reckless drivers are really punished? I always thought we’re in the Aloha State, where the Aloha extends to one’s behavior on the road. But I see I’m wrong.
I also wonder why it’s still allowed to talk on a cell phone while driving. There should be a law prohibiting that. Also, I just read in another article that a man who hit and killed a Makaha woman was sentenced to just ONE year in prison. He was intoxicated and even left the scene! If this is justice, why would drivers care? It may even be convenient for some, to spend a year in jail. Free rent and food for a year!
The woman hit by the bus was my mom. Could you pleae email me I have many questions. She is in ICU and unable to say anything.
I understand that this is a tragic accident and I hope the best for the poor woman struck by the bus. This may be a little off base considering the circumstances of this horrible incident by I have an issue with the initial comment made on this subject, again like I said I undertsand this was a tragic accident but I read something that got my attention.
In the initial comment the writer writes “It took about 5 minutes for the ambulance and fire truck to get there even though the fire station is around the corner” So let me ask this to the writer, first after you witnessed the accident how long did it take you to call 911 if you did even call at all.
Second, maybe the fire station around the corner was at another call so a fire station further away had to respond.
Third are you aware of the process of the 911 system? A call is received and then the dipsatcher will notify either police, fire or ambulance, that doesn’t happen instantly that may take a minute or so after the dispatcher gets all the information from the caller. So then once the fire department is notified they have to suit up and get there uniforms on which may take about a 2 minutes or so and if the closest station is on another call the second closest station will respond. A 5 minute response time is actually excellent on a Saturday night.
The way I read your comment it seemed like you were disappointed it took so long for emergency repsonders to get there. If a 5 minute response time isn’t good enough for you then I suggest you join HPD, HFD or C&C EMS and try your best to get a response time better than 5 minutes instead of criticizing it.
Please don’t do what you accuse others of doing. Now let me answer your questions. I don’t have a cell phone, so I couldn’t call 911. And even if I had one, I wouldn’t have called 911 right away because I didn’t see the accident from the front. I had no idea a pedestrian was hit. All I heard was a loud bang. But just seconds later, I saw people standing next to the bus with a cell phone so I knew they were calling 911 because an accident had happened. When it was my turn to cross the street, I could see the front of the bus and the pedestrian lying under it. So in other words, you can’t call 911 if you don’t know what has happened. In any other case (if I see what has happened), I would never hesitate to call 911.
Now to your second comment. The fire truck that responded came from the station near the intersection.
Third, yes I’m somewhat familiar with the 911 system because I have called them before and know that there’s a dispatcher who will notify police, fire department, etc. But anyway, that wasn’t even my main point in my posting.
I understand the response time comment was not your main point, but I just had to throw out there that it seems no matter what emergency responders do (police, fire or EMS) the public still complains, it’s like they can never do right, there is always someone who has to make a comment. They have very hard jobs that not many people could do. Give them a break, and like I said in case you didn’t know a 5 minute response time on a Saturday is excellent even if the fire station is one block away. Instead of critcizing them just thank them and leave it at that.
This is just a tragic situation. Just one auto accident hitting a pedestrian is shocking - but one in which a pedestrian is in a (wheelchair) is appalling. What truly strikes my heart and mind are the sheer numbers - the high percentage of auto/pedestrian accidents that occur here in Hawai’i and in particular, on Oahu. I cannot stand to watch the local news because of the unending reports of these accidents. I realize that there are numerous reasons these accidents occur. But I am completely disgusted by them. My heart breaks for the victims and their loved ones ~ a nurse in Kona.