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Truck hit pedestrians at 51 mph at Kakaako traffic island, police say

BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COM

Alins Sumang looked down at today’s preliminary hearing at District Court.

The pickup truck that crashed into a group of pedestrians in Kakaako last week was going 74-76 mph on Ala Moana Boulevard before impact, skidded, then hit the pedestrians and light pole in a traffic island at 51 mph, Honolulu police said today in the preliminary hearing for the truck driver Alins Sumang.

After more than three hours of testimony, Honolulu District Judge Melanie May found probable cause to sustain three counts of manslaughter against Sumang and to send the case on for trial. She ordered Sumang to appear in state Circuit Court Feb. 19 for his arraignment.

Sumang, 27, has been in custody since release from the hospital last Wednesday on $1 million bail. May denied a request from Sumang’s lawyer to reduce the bail.

Three people Casimir Pokorney, 26, of Pennsylvania, Reino Ikeda, 47, of Japan, and William Travis Lau, 39, of Honolulu, died at the scene.

Three other people who were on the traffic island were injured, as was the driver of another pickup truck that was also hit. Sumang is not yet facing any charges for injuring them.

At the time of the crash, Sumang was on probation for a 2017 felony terroristic threatening conviction.

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