Child’s death reclassified as murder

Big Island police have not made arrests in the death of a 19-month-old Hilo girl, which was reclassified as murder.

A preliminary autopsy report revealed yesterday that Pomaikai K. Ferreira died of traumatic brain injury due to repetitive, abusive head trauma, police said.

Lt. Gregory Esteban said police have not ruled out the toddler’s 19-year-old mother and her 36-year-old boyfriend as possible suspects.

Ferreira was brought in critical condition into Hilo Medical Center on Jan. 2 and flown to the Queen’s Medical Center, where she died Sunday. Police arrested the mother’s boyfriend on suspicion of first-degree assault and released him Jan. 4.

Kart driver hurt in crash with truck

A Waianae woman critically injured when her kart collided head-on with a pickup truck in Makaha yesterday morning was trying to avoid a water puddle, police said.

The woman, 41, was taken to the Queen’s Medical Center in critical condition after the 7:17 a.m. crash, said a spokeswoman for the city Department of Emergency Services.

Police traffic officers said the woman was traveling south on Makaha Valley Road when she turned right onto Kaulaili Road. It appeared she made a wide turn to avoid a large puddle in the intersection, police said, and it apparently caused her to collide head-on with the black Ford pickup truck driven by a Waianae woman, 28, police said.

Karts are not legal on Hawaii streets.