Medical examiner identifies pedestrian killed in Vineyard Boulevard accident
COURTESY GOAKAMAI.ORG
Police closed the section of Vineyard Blvd. this morning between Punchbowl and Queen Emma streets after a critical pedestrian accident.
The medical examiner identified a woman pedestrian who was killed Saturday morning near downtown Honolulu as 56-year-old Benida Wellens, of Honolulu.
Police said Wellens was struck by a 2010 Ford MPV, driven by a 54-year-old Honolulu man, heading east on Vineyard near the intersection of South Vineyard Boulevard and Punchbowl Street just after 5 a.m. A vehicle driven east by a 54-year-old man on Vineyard Boulevard hit her.
She was taken to Queen’s Medical Center in critical condition, where she later died.
Police had shut down Vineyard Boulevard from Punchbowl to Queen Emma Street for more than two hours while they investigated the accident.
Police said Wellens was crossing near a crosswalk and the road was wet.
It is unknown if speed or alcohol were factors in the crash.
This is Oahu’s 20th traffic death, compared with 26 at this time last year.
21 responses to “Medical examiner identifies pedestrian killed in Vineyard Boulevard accident”
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I have had two nearly hit experience as a pedestrian. The latest was two days ago, when I started to cross Piikoi at Waimanu towards the shopping center. I had the green and pedestrian walk signal. I looked to my left and saw it was clear. When I took three steps onto the crosswalk, a taxi brushed past me making a right turn from Waimano to Piikoi. This was the second incident at the same location. The city should look into this dangerous location and do something before someone gets seriously injured or killed.
This is happening ALL over Honolulu with drivers making rights turns running through red lights or just ripping through the turn and completely disregarding pedestrians while they make their turn. No consequence for these drivers in Honolulu so they do this all the time. If they hit someone they just will wash the blood off their car and claim they did not see the pedestrian. In that same area near Queens hospital, not too long ago a delivery truck killed a pedestrian when he illegally backed onto the sidewalk across from the Queens ER to make his delivery. Regarding this pedestrian hit they have traffic cameras at this intersection and if the video was recorded, it should be shown to the public to find out exactly who was at fault, the driver or pedestrian. If it was the driver’s fault, with video they should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law AND the name and picture of the driver who killed the pedestrian should be made public. I gaurantee you if there is actually consequence for reckless Honolulu drivers to hit and kill pedestrians, the number of these cases would greatly be reduced.
well said. need to bring back cameras!
I agree, right turns are one of the most hazardous situations because the driver is looking to his left, NOT in the direction his car is traveling. One engineering solution is to build out the curb so the right turn is sharper, forcing the driver to slow (and actually pay attention) during the turn. Check out the right turn at 12th Ave and Koko Head Ave in Kaimuki. Very sharp angle, you have to take it slow.
Dont know if 12th Ave & Koko Head would a great example since it’s in a residential area. What about a “no right turn on red” signal to allow pedstrians to cross with a numbered timer on it? LA County has these in high impact intersections with a high volume of vehicle traffic and pedestrians.
Bad combo. Dangerous busy intersection and a scum taxi driver.
Obama and Ige can’t even realize the facts of ISIS infiltration with Syrian Refugees and you expect HPD to investigate a near hit?
I did not say HPD should investigate my near hit. The transportation department should determine whether there are measures they can take to prevent a hit. What has Ige and Obama has to do with my near hit?
It seems more like an irresponsible driver to me. I live in that area and see this all the time. Also when people are trying to cross and drivers are in a rush just inching up into the crosswalk trying to intimidate the pedestrians. It’s very rude and also dangerous.
I called the DOT 2 weeks before this accident to report that 3 of the 4 lights in the intersection were burned out. Nothing was done till I wrote suggesting they might have contributed to the accident with their negligence. The lights were repaired that day.
I have always thought the walk light should light up a few seconds before, or later than the right turn green light.
If your driving waiting to turn right on a red light you have to look at on coming traffic common from your left, and the front and the pedestrians waiting to cross. If you turn right on a red at the same time it turns green people are all ready driving toward the cross walk. It’s a no win situation.
And a lot of pedestrians don’t look left before crossing, they start crossing the street the second the walk light turns on.
agree!
yesterday, i was driving on king street and stopped for a woman who was on the mauka side in the crosswalk walking to the makai side of king street. an impatient driver in back of me used the horn trying to get me to ignore the woman crossing king street.
You don’t need to know traffic laws or even English to get a driver’s license here. You just need to know what C notes look like.
Let’s wait until the investigation is completeted before passing any judgement of blame. In my opinion, many pedestrians are either unaware or simply irresponsible at times while entering a cross walk. If you enter or are in the crosswalk as the countdown begins, continue and complete your crossing. However, if the countdown is in progress,do not enter and wait to next cycle. As a pedestrian and waiting for the next cycle, there have been pedestrians entering the crosswalk while the countdown approaches (3…2…1). I just comment to them, “Safer to wait” and they continue into the crosswalk. As a driver, I recently waited patiently in back of two cars at an intersection, the front most car making a right turn. Pedestrians approaching the intersection and in blind spot of car making turn started running after countdown began. I honked my horn as a warning, car making turn stopped and pedestrians completed their “run” / walk to opposite side and turned around to “express themselves”…thinking they were in the right. The issue was to prevent a potential accident. Perhaps a high profile Public Service commercial / advisory should be implemented along with increased traffic citations for both pedestrians and drivers.
When you honked your horn “as a warning”, the driver of the car ahead of you and the pedestrians probably thought that you were getting impatient and was pushing for the car to make the turn. That may be why the pedestrians “turned to express themselves”.
If the pedestrians made it across before the countdown ended, they were “in the right”. Even if the countdown ends and pedestrians are in the crosswalk, that does NOT mean cars can run them over. Knowing that the pedestrian is in front and driving over them can even be considered an act of murder.
Nope, pedestrians ran and entered the crosswalk “after the countdown began”…that’s the reason for the warning. You are correct, once they are in the crosswalk and the countdown begins they don’t really need to run…they are in the right to safely complete crossing. I don’t believe anyone would be so insane to run any pedestrian over…”knowing that the pedestrian is in front and driving over them can even be considered an act of murder” (?)…well yes that would somewhat obvious. Anyway, if I prevented pedestrian(s) from getting injured then I my intentions were well justified and it would have made my day a lot more daunting by having to serve as a witness to a civil matter. Hmmm…I wonder if there was a traffic cam available to review and cite…
Honking the horn is old school. The way I do it is I stick my AK-47 or the AR-15, whatever I have in the passenger seat at the time out the sun roof and fire a couple of, you know, “warning shots” and typically people get the message to move along or dive for cover. Works all the time. Around here If you don’t display the “I own the road” attitude you’ll be stuck in traffic for quite a while. It helps if you drive a Ford F-350 Diesel lifted with 44″ tires. Those 4 door mid size cars don’t get any respect.
I understand the your point…but even if you are in the right to express your point of view…it really doesn’t do any good since some will continue to behave badly so the consequence needs to be significant to change behavior…wait a minute…perhaps you’re right. BTW, there’s a bit more to this story…after politely pointing out that “don’t walk means don’t walk” (no threat, no swearing, no finger gesture) the wahine went off the deep end. They were adamant that they could right to enter cross walk after count down started…mediator was called and when they realized they were in the wrong…the story was I was behaving in a threatening manner…hence I wish there was a traffic cam…(sigh). Again, read my original post, my intent was to avoid a potential tragedy…go figure. 🙂
A most difficult problem to solve, 100% safety for all pedestrians….harder for the elderly with limited mobility!
I definitely eye more inconsiderate/irresponsible drivers but also some pedestrians.
I was in Chinatown last week driving straight though a green light intersection when a disheveled guy stumbled right in front of me while throwing his hands up at me. I slammed on my brakes and missed him by a foot. And the guy behind me also slammed on his brakes.
I don’t know what you could possibly do about that kind of situation.