Traffic victims ID’d as Waipahu resident, Massachusetts man
Two men killed in traffic-related crashes during the weekend have been identified by the Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office.
Waipahu resident Alan Bufala, 21, died early Sunday after he apparently lost control of his vehicle while making a turn on Iroquois Road near West Loch Drive.
Vishnu Kanumalla, 36, of Massachusetts died after his moped collided with a motorcycle near the Makapuu Lighthouse trail Sunday.
There have been 31 traffic fatalities on Oahu so far this year, compared with 24 at the same time last year.
Social worker who collapsed died of ‘cardiac event’
The 44-year-old social worker who collapsed Friday at the Oahu Community Correctional Center and died at Kuakini Medical Center has been identified as Malcolm Lee Jr. of Kaneohe.
Lee collapsed at about 11:25 a.m. Friday at the Kalihi prison, the state Department of Public Safety reported.
Prison officials said preliminary reports indicated he suffered a "cardiac event."
Downed signal pole near Ala Moana closes Atkinson
Atkinson Drive near Ala Moana Boulevard was closed Monday morning because of a downed traffic signal pole.
Police closed Atkinson Drive at about 10 a.m., blocking off the makai-bound lanes.
The road has since been reopened. No reason was given for the downed pole.
Kamuela man is victim of truck crash
Hawaii County police have identified the man who died Saturday in a North Kona truck accident as Kurt T. Okada, 47, of Kamuela.
Police said Okada was driving a dump truck west on Kaiminani Drive when he lost control and ran off the right side of the road at the intersection with Wainana Place at about noon Saturday.
The truck hit two parked cars, a rock wall, utility boxes and a tree. The vehicle caught on fire, also burning the tree.
Okada was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the truck, police said.
He was taken to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:04 p.m.
Police said excessive speed was a factor. Anyone with information about this crash is asked to call officer Thomas Koyanagi at 326-4646, ext. 229.
It was the 16th traffic fatality on Hawaii island this year compared with 14 at the same time last year.
Puna blaze triggers arson investigation
Hawaii County police opened an arson investigation in connection with a fire in Puna last week.
Fire investigators, with the help of a dog from the department’s Arson Canine Team, determined that someone set the fire that destroyed a house Thursday on 38th Avenue in the Orchidland Estates subdivision. The house was valued at an estimated $155,000.
Police ask anyone with information on this case to contact Detective Wendall Carter at 961-2378 or wcarter@co.hawaii.hi. us. Callers may also call the police non-emergency line at 935-3311, or CrimeStoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona.
