A 17-year-old Kalihi boy whose body was found on Kalanianaole Highway near Sandy Beach on Friday morning may have been engaged in a fad of riding on the hood of a moving car, police said.
Police Vehicular Homicide Section Lt. Robert Towne said it is too soon in the investigation to conclusively say the craze, known as hood surfing or ghost riding, was involved, but based on the teen’s injuries and evidence at the scene, this may be the first Oahu fatality attributed to the fad, which originated on the mainland and was made popular on YouTube.
Towne said participants, who might include the driver, climb out the window and "surf" on the hood or sometimes the roof of a moving car, then make their way back around the car and climb back inside. Honolulu police have encountered other cases of young men who have been injured trying it but have survived.
A patrol officer found the boy’s body on Kalanianaole Highway at 2:39 a.m. with traumatic head injuries. He died at the scene.
Police found no evidence at the scene of a vehicle hitting the boy.
The Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as Boydshiro A. Maycry. An autopsy was conducted Friday, and medical examiners said the cause of death was head injuries but deferred release of other information pending further investigation.
Police said an autopsy showed Maycry’s injuries were not consistent with a hit-and-run accident.
When police arrived at the scene, they found three carloads of youths, or roughly 15, and evidence of beer drinking, Towne said. Police are asking for witnesses or anyone with information regarding the boy’s death to come forward.
This is Oahu’s 21st traffic death so far in 2013, compared with 21 for the same period a year ago.
Police closed Kalanianaole Highway as they investigated the accident. The highway reopened before 5:30 a.m.
Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME on a cellphone.
The Rev. Shiro Timothy had difficulty expressing the loss and uncertainty he’s feeling after the death of his 17-year-old grandson.
"We just want to know about the nature of his death," said Timothy, senior pastor of the Kosrae Congregational Church.
At the same time, Timothy said he wants to make clear there will be no vengeance upon whomever was involved in the death. "We don’t believe in those kinds of things," he said.
More than a dozen family and friends gathered at the priest’s home in Kalihi, awaiting more details about Maycry’s death.
His death has been especially hard because Maycry’s mother was on vacation to visit her husband in Chuuk in the Federated States of Micronesia about a week ago, and the relatives in Honolulu had difficulty contacting her, he said.
Maycry went to Kaimuki High School before attending the Youth Challenge Academy in Hilo, where young people are prepared for entry into the Hawaii National Guard. He graduated from the academy in 2011.
The family said Maycry was cruising with his brother, relatives and friends at Sandy Beach, and for a time no one noticed he was missing.
Then they saw police emergency lights near the main road, relatives said.
Maycry’s family and friends hope someone will come forward to explain what happened.
Donations are being accepted on behalf of the family to help transport Maycry back to Micronesia. Queries about contributions may be made to palsisbrocula@gmail.com.
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Star-Advertiser reporter Gregg K. Kakesako contributed to this report.
