Crosswalk where fatality occurred is ‘hostile,’ McCully residents say

Some McCully residents and employees want more to be done to improve the safety of a crosswalk where an 86-year-old man was fatally struck by a moped Tuesday.

Wilkie Lin of Honolulu was hit while using the crosswalk on McCully Street near Poha Lane at about 2 p.m.

Police said Lin was halfway across the five-lane roadway when the moped rider struck him and threw him from the crosswalk. The moped rider, a 39-year-old man, sustained minor injuries.

Police said alcohol and excessive speed do not appear to be factors in the crash.

Lin was taken in serious condition to a hospital, but his condition deteriorated and he died at about 8 p.m. Wednesday.

The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s office identified Lin on Thursday and said he died of head injuries from the crash. His death was ruled an accident.

Lin’s family declined to comment.

Antoinette Keahiolalo, a security officer at McCully-Moiliili Public Library, described the crosswalk as “hostile” and said in the past six months she’s seen about five near collisions involving pedestrians in the crosswalk.

“I see pedestrians that are trying to cross that wait a long time,” she said. “Cars don’t stop.” When a motorist does stop, cars coming from behind “either speed around them or continue speeding past them.”

Keahiolalo said that after the crash she looked outside and saw the man lying about 15 feet from the crosswalk. Good Samaritans were tending to him and applying towels to his head, which was bleeding profusely.

She said she didn’t know the man, but recognized him from his periodic visits to the library.

She said she heard the moped driver later tell officers that he didn’t see the pedestrian.

Rick Taketa, manager at McCully Bicycle & Sporting Goods, which also faces the crosswalk, said from inside the store he can hear tires squealing when vehicles suddenly stop for pedestrians.

“You just have to watch the cars,” he said. “You pick up speed coming down from that light,” he said, referring to the intersection of King and Punahou streets.

Taketa said he believes a traffic light, or at least a blinking light, would improve the crosswalk’s safety.

“There’s a lot of people who cross over here because they go to the library and they go to Ross (Dress for Less),” he said. “A lot of old people use this crosswalk.”

Keahiolalo, who is also a McCully resident, said she heard the city is looking into installing a pedestrian-activated flashing light at the crosswalk for about $250,000.

The city could not be reached Thursday evening about any crosswalk improvements in the area.