Man found dead in back of dump truck

A 30-year-old man was found dead Friday after he fell into the back of a dump truck traveling on the H-1 freeway, police said.

The case was classified as an unattended death late Friday afternoon, said Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Yu, who added that homicide detectives were called to the scene as they are to all unattended deaths.

Yu said the man was seen on the Gulick Street overpass before the fall.

The Honolulu Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy Monday to determine the cause and manner of his death.

His identification is pending notification of next of kin.

Emergency Medical Services personnel were called to the scene on the H-1 near the Fort Shafter offramp at about 12:30 p.m.

The man was found in the back of a privately owned dump truck. He was pronounced dead at the scene, an Emergency Medical Services report said.

Police shut down two right Ewa-bound lanes of the freeway just before the Fort Shafter offramp and closed the offramp as well, snarling Friday afternoon traffic.

Police also closed the Likelike Highway onramp to the H-1. All lanes were open shortly after 3 p.m.

2 killed in crash in North Kohala

A man and woman from Hawi died Monday morning in a traffic crash in North Kohala. Police identified them as Albert Kita, 77, and Dorothy Kita, 83.

Police determined that the driver of a Honda sport utility vehicle, traveling north on Kohala Mountain Road, failed to make a turn and instead crossed the centerline and struck a southbound 2008 Scion Xb, which was occupied by the ­Kitas.

The Kitas were taken to the North Hawaii Community ­Hospital. The driver, Albert Kita, was pronounced dead at 9:32 a.m. Dorothy Kita, the front-seat passenger, died at 12:15 p.m., police said.

The Honda driver, a 29-year-old Hawi woman, was taken to the same hospital, where she was treated for injuries.

Police said excessive speed and inattention might have been factors in the crash.

Police opened a negligent-homicide investigation.

These are the 27th and 28th traffic fatalities for Hawaii island this year, compared with 16 at the same time last year.

Witnesses are asked to call Officer Kimo Keliipaakaua at 326-4646, ext. 229. Anonymous tipsters may call CrimeStoppers at 961-8300.

Woman, 87, dies from crash injuries

An 87-year-old Honolulu woman has died from injuries she suffered in an October car crash in the Ala Moana area.

The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office identified her as Janet A. Okuhara of Honolulu.

At about 12:06 p.m. Oct. 18, police said, Okuhara was a passenger in a Toyota sedan driven by an 86-year-old Honolulu woman traveling south on Atkinson Drive when the vehicle sideswiped another vehicle going in the same direction.

Police said the Toyota hopped the curb and slammed head-on into a wall.

Okuhara suffered neck injuries and was transported to a hospital, where she died Thursday.

The driver’s condition was not available.

Okuhara’s death is the 45th traffic-related fatality on Oahu this year compared with 40 at the same time last year.