The city is looking at changes to an intersection in Kaimuki where an 18-year-old woman died and two people were left in comas after the driver lost control of her SUV on a wet roadway.
Tayler Pangan-Fergerstrom never drank the night of Oct. 28, and she wasn’t speeding when she lost control while driving down a steep portion of Kilauea Avenue where it intersects with 18th Avenue, said an 18-year-old friend who was in the passenger seat of Pangan-Fergerstrom’s SUV the night of the crash.
The friend, who asked that his name not be used, said they were going home after spending several hours in Waikiki. The group was giggling inside the SUV when Pangan-Fergerstrom said, "weehee," just before hitting the dip at 18th Avenue. She began hydroplaning, and the SUV slammed into a railing fronting the entrance of Kaimuki Middle School, across from 19th Avenue, and about 100 yards from the point where Pangan-Fergerstrom lost control. The friend said Pangan-Fergerstrom was trying to brake the entire time, and the vehicle spun in a circle before crashing. He said the accident could have been avoided if there was a stop sign at 18th Avenue.
"I believe if there was a stop sign, we would have stopped," he said.
About two dozen family members showed up at the Kaimuki Neighborhood Board meeting Wednesday night, asking officials to make changes to the intersection.
Anthony Pangan, Tayler’s father, said he wants to make sure the road conditions are safe for other drivers.
"She wasn’t drinking, she wasn’t speeding, she had her seat belt on and still she’s gone," he said. "She did everything right. It was the wet road conditions, and the hill, the dip, the green light. It’s preventable."
He continued, "It’s too late for Tayler. Anything we got to do to help stop it from happening again."
Honolulu City Councilman Stanley Chang echoed Pangan’s comments about ensuring a safer road and said the city will do a study for controlling traffic at the intersection.
The board unanimously passed a motion at the Wednesday meeting, asking the city to replace the traffic light at the intersection with a four-way stop sign. Board Chairman Vernon Tam said the city Department of Transportation Services will appear before the board in January to talk about the intersection.
Ling Cordova, who lives on Kilauea near 19th Avenue, said there used to be a four-way stop sign at the intersection, but school officials requested a traffic light to protect the children crossing the wide street. She suggested the city switch the traffic signal to a four-way red light late at night, requiring all vehicles to stop. She also made other suggestions, such as making the road one-way going uphill, adding stop signs at every intersection along the steep street, or installing speed bumps.
"It’s just a matter of time before the next accident happens," Cordova told the board. "Every time it rains, it seems as though we’re waiting to hear a crash."
She said images of the crash scenes have been burned into her mind and keep her awake at night.
Kathy Higa, a 19th Avenue resident, said she frequently hears cars spinning out late at night.
"When I’m sleeping I can hear it," she said. "Within a matter of seconds you hear a crash, and that’s when we’re all getting up to do our normal routines to come out and call 911."
She said rainwater gushes down the road like a river, making the roadway even more dangerous. She believes accidents could be prevented by requiring cars to stop at 18th Avenue where the road dips.
Pangan-Fergerstrom’s front seat passenger said he escaped the accident with a sprained leg and whiplash. He said his cousin and another friend, who were both in the back seat of the SUV, remained comatose at the hospital Wednesday night.
The friend said the road conditions need to be improved because the crash happened during an ordinary drive.
"It could happen to anyone," he said.