A man killed Friday morning when he was struck by a pickup truck on Farrington Highway apparently lived near the crash site in front of Kahe Point Beach Park.
The man, 60, has not yet been positively identified by the city Department of the Medical Examiner.
But according to Michaelgutc Lopez, who also lives just outside the park, "Kirk" was "a little bit off" but "seemed like a cool cat."
Lopez, who did not give the victim’s last name, said he gave Kirk some marijuana and crystal methamphetamine "to help him out a little bit" several days ago.
Police said that at about 5:10 a.m. the victim was trying to cross the highway from the park side toward Kahe Power Plant, where there is a bus stop. Initial reports are that several cars swerved to avoid him but that a Ford F-250 pickup truck in the left, Honolulu-bound lane was not able to stop in time, said Lt. Robert Towne of the Honolulu Police Department Traffic Division.
The driver of the landscaping company pickup, a 42-year-old woman, was not injured, Towne said.
Police noted that the victim was wearing dark clothing at the time and that the area did not appear to have a working street light. He was not in a marked crosswalk, but was walking near the vehicular entrance to the Kahe Point beach park, Towne said.
The area has a 45 mph speed limit.
Police contra-flowed traffic in the area shortly after the crash, backing up morning rush-hour traffic in both directions for several hours even after the scene was cleared at about 8 a.m.
The death is the first on Oahu roads in 2013. There were no deaths at this point in 2012.
The Traffic Division reported that the victims of 16 of 57 fatal accidents in 2012 were pedestrians.
Just before 10 p.m. Nov. 30, a Chevy Suburban traveling Waianae-bound on Farrington plowed into a couple who had just gotten off the bus and were attempting to cross at Laaloa Street near Kamokila Community Park, about two miles from Friday’s fatality.
Elena Barcena, 56, was killed, while husband Oscar, 58, was injured.
