Fatal plunge onto H-1 slows traffic

A man died early Wednesday morning after falling or jumping from the Pali Highway overpass onto the eastbound lanes of the H-1 freeway, touching off an hours-long traffic backup for rush-hour commuters.

Police have classified the case as an unattended death.

The accident occurred about 4:30 a.m.

Honolulu police closed all eastbound freeway lanes from the Pali Highway overpass to the Kinau Street offramp just before 5 a.m. to conduct their investigation. The freeway was reopened shortly after 8 a.m.

To help ease the traffic congestion, police opened both the Zipper and HOV lanes on the eastbound lanes of the H-1 freeway to all motorists shortly after 7 a.m.

Police said the victim’s age was not known.

Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to call police.

Skeletal remains found near lookout

Firefighters recovered human skeletal remains Wednesday near the Pali Lookout.

Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. David Jenkins said HFD personnel conducting training exercises in the morning discovered a backpack and some identification.

When firefighters continued their training in the afternoon, they discovered the remains.

They began the recovery work at about 4 p.m.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Thieves target purses in carts on Big Island

Hawaii County police are warning the public not to leave handbags unattended in shopping carts.

Elderly female shoppers have been reporting they have had their purses stolen out of their shopping carts at various Hilo stores, police said Wednesday.

In some cases, the thieves are working in tandem. While one distracts the shopper, the other grabs the handbag.

There have been at least three recent cases, police said.

Lt. Gregory Esteban of the Area 1 Criminal Investigations Section said it only takes seconds to snatch a bag out of the cart of a distracted shopper.

“We are advising women to keep their handbags on their person while out in public to avoid being a target of theft,” he said. “Often the theft of a handbag can lead to additional crimes, such as unauthorized use of a credit card and identity theft.”

Anyone who is a victim of a purse snatching on Hawaii island is asked to report it immediately by calling the police nonemergency number at 935-3311.

Molokai waste pickups resume today or Friday

The Maui Department of Environmental Management, Solid Waste Division, said all Wednesday pickups on Molokai routes were canceled because of emergency repairs to the island’s primary rear-loader truck.

The backup truck also was unavailable because it was undergoing repair.

County officials said the missed trash pickups will be done today or Friday.