Driver seriously hurt in collision on H-2

A 44-year-old Wai­pahu man was critically injured Thursday morning when his vehicle was hit by an SUV going the wrong way on the H-2 freeway.

The man was traveling north on the freeway when his Mazda pickup truck was hit head-on by a southbound To­yota Sequoia just after 5 a.m., a mile south of the Mehe­ula Parkway overpass, police said.

He was pinned in the cab of the truck.

The 37-year-old driver of the Sequoia received minor injuries. Police arrested him on suspicion of drunken driving.

The northbound lanes of the H-2 freeway from the Ka Uka off­ramp to the Mililani Mauka exit were closed for several hours.

Man arrested in string of armed robberies

Police arrested a 31-year-old man Wednesday in connection with four armed robberies of retail stores starting in August.

He is being held on suspicion of four counts of first-degree robbery in connection with holdups at Walgreens, Rix Island Wear, Lono Jewelry Store and Lucky Brand Jeans.

In three of the robberies, the robber showed a handgun, witnesses said.

The Walgreens incident took place Aug. 18 at the pharmacy counter. Police said the robber at first asked for medications and was told he needed to pre­sent a prescription. He pulled out what appeared to be a gun. In the video, two clerks are seen leaving the counter, and the would-be robber walks away empty-handed a short time later.

On Sept. 3 a man approached a clerk at Rix in Ward Warehouse, demanded money and later reached over to grab $377 from the cash register, Rix owner Rick Ralston said.

On Oct. 24 a man entered Lono’s Hawaiian Jewelry at 2125 Kalakaua Ave., showed a handgun and demanded money. He fled in an unknown direction.

Details of the jeans store robbery Sunday were not available.