Fugitive successfully eludes officers
A Hanamaulu man wanted on a bench warrant evaded Kauai police Wednesday afternoon after a three-quarter-mile vehicle chase that started when an officer tried to stop his truck.
At about 3:55 p.m. a police officer saw a white Nissan pickup truck with a cracked windshield and no front license plate which was heading southbound on Waiahi Street in Hanamaulu, according to a Kauai County news release.
The officer signaled the driver to stop, but the truck continued, ran the stop sign at the Laulima Street and Kuhio Highway intersection and collided with another vehicle, the news release said. The man continued on, and the officer pursued him on Kuhio Highway.
As the driver approached Kauai Beach Drive, he crossed the center line and drove on the opposite side of the highway for a short distance. He then tried to turn down Kauai Beach Drive, lost control of the vehicle and came to a stop at Kauai Beach Drive and Kuhio Highway, the news release. The driver then ran from the truck into a field.
Officers surrounded the area and conducted a search on foot, and the police helicopter conducted an aerial search.
Blaze destroys 2-story house in Milolii
Hawaii County firefighters had to refill their trucks with water to fight a fire that destroyed a shoreline house in Milolii on Hawaii island late Wednesday night.
The house is in an area with no pressurized water system. Firefighters used 1,000 gallons from each of two engines that responded, 3,500 gallons in each of the two tankers and 10,000 gallons from the property’s catchment system. After using up the water supply, firefighters traveled 10 miles to a fire hydrant for more, fire officials said.
The fire was reported at 10:56 p.m., and when firefighters arrived at the home at 11:31 p.m., half the two-story structure was burning, fire officials said. The blaze was brought under control at 3 a.m. and extinguished at 6:30 a.m.
No one was home at the time of the fire. The cause remains under investigation, fire officials said.
