Masonic members in Hawaii are mourning the loss of two members after they were run over by a sport utility vehicle yesterday in a "mind-boggling" accident at Paradise Park.

Friends identified the victims as Dexter Lum, 68, of Makiki and Martin Wong, 77, of Kaneohe. Both men were with the Red Cross of Constantine, a small fraternal order holding a quarterly meeting yesterday at the Treetops restaurant.

Two other men — members of the same order — were also hit by the SUV. Friends said a 52-year-old Pearl City man was knocked down but not injured. Police said an 81-year-old man was taken to Straub Clinic & Hospital in serious condition.

The driver of the white SUV, a 65-year-old Kaneohe man, was arrested on suspicion of two counts of second-degree negligent homicide and released later pending investigation.

Friends identified the driver as a top Masonic leader in the state.

They said the owner of the SUV, Sonny Nahale’a, had a stroke about two years ago and had his vehicle converted for left-footed driving, reversing the accelerator and brake pedals.

The driver apparently was moving the vehicle out of the parking lot for Nahale’a when he pressed the wrong pedal and hit the four men, including the vehicle’s owner, friends said.

Kaimana Penaroza, who was returning to work, pulled into the upper parking lot shortly after 1 p.m. and saw one man giving cardiopulmonary resuscitation to one of the victims on the ground and another man jacking up the vehicle to get the other man out.

"It looked bad," he said. "People looking lifeless."

Police said the accident happened about 1:10 p.m.

Lum was the sovereign grand inspector general of the Scottish Rite Bodies in Hawaii and Guam. He was the top Mason of this region’s order and was known for his abilities as a ritualist.

"About the best ritualist that I’ve ever heard," said Jon Haig, a Mason member of Honolulu Lodge. "He had one of these voices, you’d think he was a newscaster."

Haig said Lum had a "tremendous memory" and was able to recall his parts while others had to read them aloud.

"He knew his work very well," he said. This is "just mind-boggling."

Wong and Lum were Masons of the 33rd Degree, an honorary title.

"Our prayers are with (the driver) because we know what he’s going through," said Lee Skinner, past sovereign and member of the Red Cross of Constantine. "He’s going through something terrible in his life."

Skinner said he did not know Wong, a quiet person, as well.

He said Lum was a "superb individual" and was "flawless with feeling" for rituals, such as reciting lines during Masonic funeral services.

Lum had modified his home to care for his brother, who was battling cerebral palsy and later died, friends and family said.

"He was a very humble person," Skinner said.

Lum retired from the U.S. Air Force as a captain in 1973 and was a real estate appraiser. He was also a part-time high school teacher until 2008. He became a Mason in 1973 in Waikiki, according to the Supreme Council website.

Daniel Nishihama of Manoa said Lum, his cousin, was a sweet guy who loved children and helped care for his two sisters’ kids.

He said Lum was "a real family man."