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In the first three months of this year, the state of Hawaii tallied 25 traffic-related fatalities, four more than during the same time period last year.
The number more than doubled from the previous tally, when only 12 traffic-related fatalities were counted in the first two months of the year.
Of the 25 traffic-related fatalities the state counted from Jan. 1 to Wednesday, nine involved motor vehicle occupants, seven involved pedestrians, eight involved motorcycles, mopeds and scooters, and one involved a bicyclist.
The majority, 17, occurred on Oahu, which was six more than the number for the island during the same time period last year. Oahu also recorded more pedestrian and motorcyclist-related fatalities than the same time the previous year.
Seven occurred in Hawaii County, matching last year’s statistics, and one occurred in Maui County, one less than last year. In Kauai County, there were no traffic-related fatalities.
The year started with two pedestrian fatalities within days of one another in the urban Honolulu area, one of which was a hit-and-run.
In recent weeks, fatalities have involved solo accidents, including a male motorcyclist who collided into a traffic sign traveling at high speed on Farrington Highway in Waianae, and a male Vespa scooter rider who crashed into a rocky embankment while traveling along Kamehameha Highway on Oahu’s North Shore.
In early March, one of the male passengers of a 21-year-old Waipahu woman died after the car she was driving at a high rate of speed collided into the center median on Moanalua Freeway.
Both speed and alcohol appeared to be contributing factors, and the woman was arrested for first-degree negligent homicide, driving under the influence, and driving without a license.
Hawaii closed out the year 2020 with 86 traffic-related fatalities compared to 108 in 2019.
Traffic volumes seem to be picking up again, with only an average decline of 15% on the H-1 freeway in late March, compared to about 30% last May.
The Honolulu Police Department is continuing unannounced impaired driver checkpoints across Oahu through April 30.
TRAFFIC-RELATED DEATHS IN HAWAII
Jan. 1 to March 31
>> City and County of Honolulu: 4 motor vehicle occupants, 6 pedestrians, 6 motorcycles/scooters, 1 bicyclist (17 total)
>> Hawaii County: 4 motor vehicle occupants, 1 pedestrian, 2 motorcycles (7 total)
>> Maui County: 1 motor vehicle occupant (1 total)
>> Kauai County: 0
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