A 39-year-old doctor, a 26-year-old visitor from the Philadelphia area and a 47-year old Japanese woman had their lives cut tragically short in Honolulu’s most horrific pedestrian crash in recent memory.

“One of the worst cases that I think any of us have seen,” said Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard on Tuesday. “So many fatalities. It’s senseless. How do you stop something like this? It’s just totally senseless. It’s just horrible.”

Two other pedestrians and the driver of a second vehicle were in the hospital, recovering from injuries.

Alins Sumang, the 27-year-old driver who police said plowed his Ford F-150 into a crowded Kakaako intersection Monday, is facing three counts of manslaughter. Sumang, who was also hospitalized, was speeding and intoxicated and being pursued by police after hitting parked cars several blocks away, police said.

Police will be increasing enforcement of driving-under-the-influence laws, Ballard said. “If you are out there drinking and driving, don’t do it.”

Casimir Pokorny, 26, of Oreland, Pa., and William Travis Lau, 39, a Honolulu doctor, died after Sumang slammed into them at the intersection of Kamakee Street and Ala Moana Boulevard, police said. Positive identification of a third pedestrian, a 47-year-old female visitor from Japan, is pending.

“This is the biggest nightmare that you could ever imagine. Ever,” said Debbie McCurdy, mother of Lianna McCurdy, who was seriously injured in the crash, which occurred shortly after 6 p.m. Monday night.

Lianna McCurdy, 21, still had dried blood in her hair as she spoke from her hospital bed Tuesday about the crash, which killed her boyfriend’s best friend, Pokorny.

McCurdy and her boyfriend were waiting to cross the street with Pokorny and his girlfriend, who were visiting from Pennsylvania, when Sumang crossed three lanes of traffic and blazed onto Kamakee Street, driving over an island and knocking down a light pole and the pedestrians. Her boyfriend and Pokorny’s girlfriend were unharmed. McCurdy was left with multiple bruises and abrasions, a fractured vertebra, bleeding in her kidney and brain, and swelling of her heart and lungs, which were still at risk of collapsing.

“It’s just a miracle she’s not broken in pieces,” said Debbie McCurdy. “It’s a couple minutes in time or just your position on the sidewalk. It’s a miracle and it’s a tragedy.”

She added that Pokorny and his girlfriend were enjoying their time on Oahu and sightseeing with their friends before tragedy struck.

“The whole week was perfect weather, beautiful. They were all over on the island, hiking and seeing whales — just everything that Hawaii had to offer,” McCurdy said. “They were so happy to come from Philadelphia for this trip. They were going to fly out (Tuesday) morning. There’s no words for it.”

Sumang is under arrest but remains in the hospital with serious injuries. He has three previous convictions, including felony terroristic threatening.

Shortly before the incident, an officer was called to the scene of a hit-and-run involving parked vehicles several blocks away in the area of Makaloa and Amana streets.

Further charges will depend upon the conditions of the others injured, including two female pedestrians, ages 21 and 26, and the 41-year-old male driver of another pickup truck. All three were taken in critical condition to the hospital. A 27-year-old male pedestrian was treated and released.

Lau, a graduate of ‘Iolani School and Tufts University, was an anesthesiologist with Pacific Anesthesia Inc.

“When a fellow classmate gets taken away from us too soon, we all mourn,” said Cliff Hsia, an ‘Iolani grad, in a post on social media.

Besides being a doctor, Lau was a marathoner.

“He was one of our athletes,” said Raul Torres, owner of Boca Hawaii. “Everybody knew him at Boca Hawaii. It’s pretty sad. Super-nice guy, pretty outgoing, good guy. Super fit. Super smart. Likes to train and likes to have fun.”

He was in his final days of training for a marathon in Huntington Beach, Calif., this weekend, Torres said.

Lau also ran the Honolulu Marathon.

Torres said he attended Lau’s wedding three years ago, when he married his wife, Melissa.

Charges expected

Ballard said Tuesday that within 48 hours she expected charges to be filed against Sumang.

Ballard happened to be in the area the night of the crash and stopped by to check on her officers.

“Everybody was shaken up,” she said, including other first responders.

“This is probably our most deadliest in many years,” she said.

Ballard addressed questions during a news conference whether the officer who was initially following the truck was technically in pursuit and whether that may have endangered the public.

She said that the truck was traveling above the speed limit as the officer followed.

The crash occurred at a time of a lot of foot traffic in the area, as well as pau hana traffic, she said.

Officers are allowed to pursue a vehicle, depending on the situation, and according to policy should have their lights and sirens on during a pursuit, she said.

“They take into consideration traffic conditions, weather conditions, lighting conditions, how many pedestrians are in the area. Obviously, the overriding (issue) is public safety.”

Ballard said the department is reviewing videos and the officer’s statement to determine whether it was a pursuit.

The officer did have his steady blue light on, and his siren was on at one point and he was chirping it off and on.

“As with any traffic fatality or any pursuit, we have to remember they’re making split-second decisions out there,” the chief said.

She said anytime something like this happens, officers are reminded during lineup of policies and procedures and what needs to be done.

She said she was not told, but heard from other sources that alcohol was found in the car.

Star-Advertiser reporter Rosemarie Bernardo contributed to this report.