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Body of motorcyclist found on side of H-1 hours after accident

GOAKAMAI.ORG

Traffic was backed up on the H-1 westbound near the Palama offramp today.

Honolulu police investigators are looking into the traffic death of a 26-year-old motorcyclist whose body was found on the side of the H-1 freeway near the Palama off-ramp Friday morning, more than 10 hours after the accident.

The victim was a Schofield Barracks soldier, Hawaii News Now reported.

Police said the body was discovered at about 11 a.m. in an area concealed by the westbound freeway guardrail near the Palama Street offramp.

Traffic was shut down for nearly three hours on two westbound lanes as police investigated. The lanes reopened by 1:45 p.m.

Police said the motorcycle traveling west-bound on the H-1 struck a highway guard, ejecting the driver, at about 12:21 a.m. Friday.

Police officers had responded to the scene just after midnight after receiving a report about the crash. But while they found the motorcycle at the scene, they couldn’t find its operator.

Authorities said when officers responded to the scene at 12:30 a.m., the area was dark. A traffic collision report was created, and police were trying to determine why the motorcyclist’s body was not found.

“It was located a considerably far distance from the motorcycle, and it wasn’t in the roadway,” Lt. Carlene Lau of the Honolulu Police Department’s Traffic Division told Hawaii News Now. “It was in an area concealed by the guardrail. It wasn’t actually on the roadway.”

Police said the motorcyclist was wearing a helmet, and excessive speed is believed to be a factor in the crash. It was unknown whether the man was still alive when police arrived at the scene the first time.

The death was the second this year compared with three for the same period last year.

34 responses to “Body of motorcyclist found on side of H-1 hours after accident”

  1. bumba says:

    Well, one lane for the accident and an extra lane to keep the responders safe. Hope it doesn’t last through the rush hour.

  2. pgkemp says:

    think some heads will soon be rolling………

  3. Mr Mililani says:

    It only took them two hours? They usually create mayhem for five or six since they don’t care about us being stuck in traffic for hours on end. Maybe the new police chief can get his department to get a little more efficient.

    • atilter says:

      wonder if the bike operator could have still been alive if he were found in a timely manner? and they have been found to be quite efficient at fact-finding or evidence-finding! but in their defense on this situation, it was at night (early a.m.) and their flashlights probably were running out of power to do a thorough site check for any injured operator. plus – the bike could have been a new hi-tech “OPERATOR-LESS” bike!!? yes – that must be it! but hey, they are very good on/at special duty assignments???! a new recruit contract security officer can do the special duty assignment blindfolded at a construction site with any day-laborer/construction worker with a vest and sign! has anyone seen them at any of the rail construction sites being done by kiewit? poor things – so tired and overworked! they are sooo grouchy from lack of sleep, they have to stay in their pov’s to get away from all that commotion and racket. gee – they have it tough!

  4. paniolo says:

    Evening news said the body of a Schofield soldier that crashed his motorcycle last night around 11 p.m. Investigators didn’t find the body until 12 hours later after a passing motorist called police. The body was behind the guardrail. HPD took away the motorcycle but didn’t look around the area for a body or owner of the motorcycle.

    • ad1 says:

      No sense hpd close the freeway at 11 at night when there isn’t much traffic when they can wait 12 hours and shut the freeway during the middle of a the day and cause traffic problems for much more people.

      • gmkhawaii says:

        ….let’s see, motorcycle found…check, NO OPERATOR FOUND…CHECK, hey let’s close the freeway since it’s 11pm and very little traffic…..what’s wrong with this picture?………………………………news flash !…body found along H1 freeway. …. HPD, hey its midday, can’t close lanes now ..to much traffic, lets wait until tonight around 11pm when there’s LESS TRAFFIC…sounds like a plan….

    • tygah says:

      The supervisors will put the blame on the junior guys for not finding the victim. Doubt if anyone would come forward & say they messed up. Oh, it was night time & it was dark. That’s why the police didn’t see him near the guardrail. Wait to see how his family accepts that explanation.

  5. WizardOfMoa says:

    What a sad accident! We never know if he could have been saved if he was found sooner! At least they found him and his family will be able to give him the proper and loving interment he deserves. Condolences to his family and friends.

  6. papio5 says:

    From khon, “Sources say the motorcycle kept going after the crash, so the body of the operator was actually located several hundred feet behind where the motorcycle was found.”

    • littleyoboboy says:

      So there were witnesses that didn’t bother to help the victim either? That statement sure sounds like someone saw what happened, or the investigation determined the point of impact. The body can only fly so far. These guys sure screwed up.

      • bumbye says:

        Maybe they came to that conclusion after finding the body. Need more info. I’d like to know what that “considerable” distance is.

        • PMINZ says:

          Most time it would be expected for a PMTC Rider in a crash to be thrown foreward of the scene, not a hundred feet before the crashed vehicle.

      • tygah says:

        True. Those seem to be the key words, point of impact. The motorcycle must have struck some area of the guardrail & if it were speeding like the witness recalls, there should have been some visual evidence left at the scene coinciding with the damage on the motorcycle. From there you estimate the possible trajectory of the rider.

  7. Wazdat says:

    WOW so they find a crashed bike but did not think to look for the person ?

    • papio5 says:

      I’m thinking they looked but not far enough, either that or no flashlights.

      • PMINZ says:

        Who usualy looks a hundred feet ‘Before’ where a vehicle is found? Apparently the MTC was going so fast it went a long way after the rider was thrown off. Who can igure that around Mid-night. Do not criticise HPD if you have never experienced that sort of searching in the darkness.

  8. LittleEarl_01 says:

    “Police were trying to determine why the motorcyclist’s body was not found.” Maybe they didn’t look.

  9. ready2go says:

    And you’d think we’ve “heard it all”? What an unusual and unfortunate accident.

  10. fiveo says:

    The responding police officers screwed up big time. I know they say it was dark. Yeah well that is why they invented flashlights. Kind of sounds like they did not do anything but
    a cursory search if at all. It will be interesting to learn what the autopsy shows such as maybe the victim was still alive at the time of the accident but died later. If so, the City is
    going to be sued.

  11. BigOpu says:

    Was too dark at that time? I know you guys got flashlights. Someone mustʻve suggested the person probably walked away from the crash and everyone agreed. What if he was still living and needed assistance?

  12. littleyoboboy says:

    Maybe worth looking into,,, maybe the victim was a potential witness against the Kealohas

  13. wrightj says:

    Everybody check their flashlights for leaking batteries.

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