Nuuanu woman dies after being hit by garbage truck

A private garbage truck fatally injured an 88-year-old woman walking to her apartment at the Queen Emma Gardens condominium complex in Nuuanu on Monday morning.

Police said the woman, a resident of the complex’s Prince Tower, was returning from her morning walk when she apparently walked behind the garbage truck while it was backing up in a loading zone.

Emergency Medical Services said the woman was taken at 8 a.m. to the Queen’s Medical Center, where she died. Her name was not immediately disclosed.

The truck is operated by Rolloffs Hawaii. The company said the driver, a man in his 30s, was placed on administrative leave. Police were investigating the incident. No one was arrested.

“We are deeply saddened by this tragic accident and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected,” Rolloffs Hawaii said in a statement. “We take the safety of the public and our employees very seriously, and we are cooperating with the Honolulu Police Department to ensure it has all information that may be helpful in relation to this accident.”

On Feb. 1 in Aiea, an 83-year-old retired nurse was fatally injured by a city garbage truck that was backing out of a cul-de-sac near her Newtown Estates subdivision home. Pauline Ando was believed to
have been crossing at Kupuwao Place and Kupukupu Street at about 8:53 a.m. when she was hit by a rear tire of the truck, which had just picked up a trash bin and was backing up, police said.