A 70-year-old pedestrian died Friday after she was struck by a pickup truck in Kapolei.
Guillerma Balanza was crossing Kamaaha Avenue in a marked crosswalk shortly after 5 a.m. when she was struck by a 2004 Ford pickup truck traveling northbound near the intersection of Kekulilani Loop. Police said the Kapolei woman suffered massive head and internal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver, a 56-year-old Kapolei man, was not injured.
Police said alcohol does not appear to be a factor, and they do not know whether speeding played a part in the incident.
Residents of the quiet neighborhood near Kapolei Middle School said motorists regularly travel faster than the 25 mph posted speed limit on Kamaaha Avenue.
"It’s been getting worse," said Karen Coyle, 58, who has lived in the area for 21 years.
Koyle regularly catches the bus near the intersection where Balanza was killed. She said she’s had a couple of close calls herself while walking in the Kamaaha Avenue crosswalk at night.
Evelyn Souza, chairwoman of the Makakilo/ Kapolei/Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board, visited the area Friday morning, after the accident.
She said Kamaaha Avenue is typically busy at 5 a.m. on weekdays, with residents driving to work.
The neighborhood board plans to discuss the accident and traffic conditions at its meeting this month.
The incident marks the 18th traffic-related fatality on Oahu this year, compared with 23 at the same time last year.
Balanza’s death is the ninth pedestrian fatality on the island in 2015, compared with 11 at the same time last year.