Street racer = idiot?
08-31-2001, 03:45 PM
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Street racer = idiot?
Monday, August 27, 2001
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Police inspect the minivan involved in a fatal accident
on the H-1 near the 7th Avenue overpass in Kaimuki yesterday.
Crash kills popular teacher
Police consider racing to be a possible cause based on the evidence and witness statements Car show enthusiasts give thumbs-down to street racing
By Leila Fujimori and Nelson Daranciang
lfujimori@starbulletin.com
ndaranciang@starbulletin.com
A popular Holy Trinity School teacher was killed and her husband and mother were injured yesterday morning in a pre-dawn H-1 accident that police believe was caused by racing.
Police said a speeding black 1999 Honda Prelude collided with the van near the Kapiolani Boulevard onramp, killing Elizabeth Kekoa, a 58-year-old Honolulu woman, a school teacher who was on her way to help set up for church services at Holy Trinity.
Kekoa, who was riding in the front passenger seat of the van, was pronounced dead at 5:06 a.m. upon arrival at Queen's Medical Center. Her husband, 68, suffered chest pains and was in fair condition at Queen's. Kekoa's mother, 79, was in critical condition last night.
Police said a witness told them he saw several Hondas blocking the freeway to set up for drag racing just before the collision.
"Racing is a possibility," said police Sgt. David Talon of the Traffic Investigation Division on the cause of the accident. "Racing is more common than we might think."
Police arrested the driver of the Honda, an 18-year-old Hawaii Kai man, at the 6th Avenue offramp, where his car finally stopped, for suspicion of second-degree negligent homicide. He was uninjured. The man was released yesterday with no charges filed.
The death of Kekoa devastated students and staff at Holy Trinity School on Kalanianaole Highway.
Children of Holy Trinity sang and prayed this morning for Kekoa, a third- and fourth-grade religion teacher.
"We wanted to celebrate her life and help the children start the healing process," said Monica Des Jarlais, school principal.
Des Jarlais said about 15 parents also attended the half-hour service which included a bible reading and a reflection by her on Kekoa's life.
She said Kekoa wore many hats and touched many lives at the school and Holy Trinity Catholic Church.
"We are all in shock. My teachers are having a difficult time," Des Jarlais said.
Prior to becoming the school's religious education teacher two years ago, Kekoa was Des Jarlais' secretary for three years. At the church, Kekoa was in charge of Sunday school and helped instruct parents of children about to be baptized. Des Jarlais said Kekoa even started a youth ministry to get teenagers back to church.
"She was so welcoming. She embraced everyone she met," Des Jarlais said.
Church officials believe Kekoa was likely on the way home to prepare for 7 a.m. Mass at Holy Trinity when the accident occurred.
The accident comes nearly three months after the June 9 death of an 18-year-old driver whose Acura Integra was speeding on a nearby stretch of the H-1 freeway and went airborne, crashing onto Waialae Avenue in Kahala below.
Talon said the Kamehameha Day accident was similar to yesterday's accident in several ways, including the type of vehicles involved and the amount of debris left behind caused by the apparent high rate of speed.
Talon said the high-performance car is popular, as evidenced by the weekend's Hawaii Street Car Show Off.
"Kids are attracted to the 'import' lifestyle," he said. "I was hoping I wouldn't see any of these types of cars involved in another fatality."
Police do not know if the Honda driver was involved in the setup of the race, but his car was equipped with a high-performing V-Tech motor and an exhaust and intake system designed for high performance, Talon said.
"Based on the evidence and witness statements, excessive speed was an apparent factor," Talon said.
The Honda driver was heading Koko Head-bound on the H-1 freeway three-tenths of a mile before the 6th Avenue offramp when he spun out of control and crashed head-on into the concrete median, Talon said.
The car's rear end slammed into the back of the white 1994 Ford Aerostar van, causing the van to go out of control and smash head-on into the south guardrail, stopping 528 feet away, Talon said.
"The Honda may have momentarily stopped, and continued on under its own power and stopped at the 6th Avenue offramp," Talon said. "It's unknown if it could have gone any further."
Pieces of the vehicles were strewn for a length of more than five football fields along the freeway.
The car's bumper was torn off and left near the site of the original collision, 528 feet behind the van and 1,528 feet from the body of the car, Talon said.
Police closed the freeway heading Koko Head-bound shortly after the accident at 4:17 a.m. for about eight hours, creating a traffic nightmare. Motorists were routed off the freeway at the South King Street exit. Two lanes were reopened at about 1 p.m., while the other lanes were opened at about 2 p.m. Cars were backed up along the freeway, a nearby resident said.
A neighbor who lives two houses away awoke to the sound of a "big crash." The man, who asked not to be named, said he could not go back to sleep, so he went out to see what was happening.
He said it was the third accident in the year since he has lived there.
Cars were backed up along the freeway, he said.
And he saw a heart-shape balloon tied to the driver's side floating outside the van.
[ September 01, 2001: Message edited by: Random ]
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Police inspect the minivan involved in a fatal accident
on the H-1 near the 7th Avenue overpass in Kaimuki yesterday.
Crash kills popular teacher
Police consider racing to be a possible cause based on the evidence and witness statements Car show enthusiasts give thumbs-down to street racing
By Leila Fujimori and Nelson Daranciang
lfujimori@starbulletin.com
ndaranciang@starbulletin.com
A popular Holy Trinity School teacher was killed and her husband and mother were injured yesterday morning in a pre-dawn H-1 accident that police believe was caused by racing.
Police said a speeding black 1999 Honda Prelude collided with the van near the Kapiolani Boulevard onramp, killing Elizabeth Kekoa, a 58-year-old Honolulu woman, a school teacher who was on her way to help set up for church services at Holy Trinity.
Kekoa, who was riding in the front passenger seat of the van, was pronounced dead at 5:06 a.m. upon arrival at Queen's Medical Center. Her husband, 68, suffered chest pains and was in fair condition at Queen's. Kekoa's mother, 79, was in critical condition last night.
Police said a witness told them he saw several Hondas blocking the freeway to set up for drag racing just before the collision.
"Racing is a possibility," said police Sgt. David Talon of the Traffic Investigation Division on the cause of the accident. "Racing is more common than we might think."
Police arrested the driver of the Honda, an 18-year-old Hawaii Kai man, at the 6th Avenue offramp, where his car finally stopped, for suspicion of second-degree negligent homicide. He was uninjured. The man was released yesterday with no charges filed.
The death of Kekoa devastated students and staff at Holy Trinity School on Kalanianaole Highway.
Children of Holy Trinity sang and prayed this morning for Kekoa, a third- and fourth-grade religion teacher.
"We wanted to celebrate her life and help the children start the healing process," said Monica Des Jarlais, school principal.
Des Jarlais said about 15 parents also attended the half-hour service which included a bible reading and a reflection by her on Kekoa's life.
She said Kekoa wore many hats and touched many lives at the school and Holy Trinity Catholic Church.
"We are all in shock. My teachers are having a difficult time," Des Jarlais said.
Prior to becoming the school's religious education teacher two years ago, Kekoa was Des Jarlais' secretary for three years. At the church, Kekoa was in charge of Sunday school and helped instruct parents of children about to be baptized. Des Jarlais said Kekoa even started a youth ministry to get teenagers back to church.
"She was so welcoming. She embraced everyone she met," Des Jarlais said.
Church officials believe Kekoa was likely on the way home to prepare for 7 a.m. Mass at Holy Trinity when the accident occurred.
The accident comes nearly three months after the June 9 death of an 18-year-old driver whose Acura Integra was speeding on a nearby stretch of the H-1 freeway and went airborne, crashing onto Waialae Avenue in Kahala below.
Talon said the Kamehameha Day accident was similar to yesterday's accident in several ways, including the type of vehicles involved and the amount of debris left behind caused by the apparent high rate of speed.
Talon said the high-performance car is popular, as evidenced by the weekend's Hawaii Street Car Show Off.
"Kids are attracted to the 'import' lifestyle," he said. "I was hoping I wouldn't see any of these types of cars involved in another fatality."
Police do not know if the Honda driver was involved in the setup of the race, but his car was equipped with a high-performing V-Tech motor and an exhaust and intake system designed for high performance, Talon said.
"Based on the evidence and witness statements, excessive speed was an apparent factor," Talon said.
The Honda driver was heading Koko Head-bound on the H-1 freeway three-tenths of a mile before the 6th Avenue offramp when he spun out of control and crashed head-on into the concrete median, Talon said.
The car's rear end slammed into the back of the white 1994 Ford Aerostar van, causing the van to go out of control and smash head-on into the south guardrail, stopping 528 feet away, Talon said.
"The Honda may have momentarily stopped, and continued on under its own power and stopped at the 6th Avenue offramp," Talon said. "It's unknown if it could have gone any further."
Pieces of the vehicles were strewn for a length of more than five football fields along the freeway.
The car's bumper was torn off and left near the site of the original collision, 528 feet behind the van and 1,528 feet from the body of the car, Talon said.
Police closed the freeway heading Koko Head-bound shortly after the accident at 4:17 a.m. for about eight hours, creating a traffic nightmare. Motorists were routed off the freeway at the South King Street exit. Two lanes were reopened at about 1 p.m., while the other lanes were opened at about 2 p.m. Cars were backed up along the freeway, a nearby resident said.
A neighbor who lives two houses away awoke to the sound of a "big crash." The man, who asked not to be named, said he could not go back to sleep, so he went out to see what was happening.
He said it was the third accident in the year since he has lived there.
Cars were backed up along the freeway, he said.
And he saw a heart-shape balloon tied to the driver's side floating outside the van.
[ September 01, 2001: Message edited by: Random ]
08-31-2001, 03:57 PM
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Wednesday, June 13, 2001
A floral memorial for Logan Fujimoto was placed at the
Waialae Chevron gas station, where he died in an auto accident.
Teen speeding victim
is a story of dreams
left unfulfilled
By Rod Antone
Star-Bulletin
Kalani High School graduate Logan Fujimoto would have turned 19 years old this month and had plans for a career involving high-performance cars, according to one of his teachers.
Fujimoto was killed this weekend in Kahala after the 1993 Acura Integra he was driving went airborne while on the H-1 freeway and crashed about 40 feet below on Waialae Avenue. Witnesses told police that Fujimoto's car was racing with another car when he lost control of the Acura.
"I couldn't believe that it was him at first," said Napua Kahawaiolaa, a Kalani High School U.S. history teacher who has known Fujimoto since he was a sophomore. "It wasn't until the mom called the school to let us know that it was Logan. It was just a shock."
Kahawaiolaa said Fujimoto had just been accepted to a two-year technical college in Arizona and was planning to leave in August.
Logan Fujimoto, 18, in the Kalani High
School 2001 yearbook.
Kahawaiolaa said she still remembers when Fujimoto ran into her office to show off his acceptance letter. "He said, 'Miss K! Miss K! I got in! I made it!'"
Fujimoto was one of three fatalities on Oahu over the Kamehameha Day weekend. Another accident near Kapaa Quarry Road in Kailua Sunday morning left a 17-year-old Kalihi boy in critical condition. Police said there was one common factor in the separate accidents: Speed.
"For those people who would see the public roadways or highways as a venue in which to race the vehicles, my message is don't," said Honolulu Police Major Jeff Owens. "Don't, for the very simple reason that not only do they put themselves at risk of death and injury, but they're putting other innocent people at risk of death and injury."
So far this year there have been 31 traffic fatalities on Oahu's public roadways of which nine included pedestrian victims, according to HPD. From January through April, Owens said, officers issued 9,935 speed-related citations.
"We've all seen people driving hazardously, weaving in and out of traffic, driving at high rates of speed," said Owens. "Please, for your sake, for those you love and your community, please drive safely."
Police said Fujimoto was thrown from his 1993 Acura Integra upon impact and died later of his injuries.
As part of HPD's investigation of the case, detectives are asking for the public's help to look for the driver of a white Volkswagen Jetta, who witnesses said had been racing Fujimoto while going eastbound on H-1 prior to the crash. Police said whatever happened, Fujimoto ended up losing control and struck a metal guardrail before going airborne.
"At this point we would like to speak to the person (driving the Jetta) as a possible witness," said Owens. "We have nothing to say about that person being the cause of the collision, we simply wanted at this point in time to try and determine what all of the facts are surrounding this terrible, terrible tragedy."
Police said according to witnesses, the driver of the Jetta went to the collision scene on Waialae Road then was seen speeding away. The accident happened Saturday, June 9, shortly after 4 a.m.
Asked if the Jetta driver could face criminal charges Owens answered, "I don't want to eliminate any possibilities, we don't know enough right now to give an exact answer to that."
Owens said he did not have any statistics about racing incidents because they are hard to come by.
He said even when police pull over suspected racers for speeding, those suspects do not usually admit to being part of a race and the other parties involved are long gone.
[ September 01, 2001: Message edited by: Random ]
A floral memorial for Logan Fujimoto was placed at the
Waialae Chevron gas station, where he died in an auto accident.
Teen speeding victim
is a story of dreams
left unfulfilled
By Rod Antone
Star-Bulletin
Kalani High School graduate Logan Fujimoto would have turned 19 years old this month and had plans for a career involving high-performance cars, according to one of his teachers.
Fujimoto was killed this weekend in Kahala after the 1993 Acura Integra he was driving went airborne while on the H-1 freeway and crashed about 40 feet below on Waialae Avenue. Witnesses told police that Fujimoto's car was racing with another car when he lost control of the Acura.
"I couldn't believe that it was him at first," said Napua Kahawaiolaa, a Kalani High School U.S. history teacher who has known Fujimoto since he was a sophomore. "It wasn't until the mom called the school to let us know that it was Logan. It was just a shock."
Kahawaiolaa said Fujimoto had just been accepted to a two-year technical college in Arizona and was planning to leave in August.
Logan Fujimoto, 18, in the Kalani High
School 2001 yearbook.
Kahawaiolaa said she still remembers when Fujimoto ran into her office to show off his acceptance letter. "He said, 'Miss K! Miss K! I got in! I made it!'"
Fujimoto was one of three fatalities on Oahu over the Kamehameha Day weekend. Another accident near Kapaa Quarry Road in Kailua Sunday morning left a 17-year-old Kalihi boy in critical condition. Police said there was one common factor in the separate accidents: Speed.
"For those people who would see the public roadways or highways as a venue in which to race the vehicles, my message is don't," said Honolulu Police Major Jeff Owens. "Don't, for the very simple reason that not only do they put themselves at risk of death and injury, but they're putting other innocent people at risk of death and injury."
So far this year there have been 31 traffic fatalities on Oahu's public roadways of which nine included pedestrian victims, according to HPD. From January through April, Owens said, officers issued 9,935 speed-related citations.
"We've all seen people driving hazardously, weaving in and out of traffic, driving at high rates of speed," said Owens. "Please, for your sake, for those you love and your community, please drive safely."
Police said Fujimoto was thrown from his 1993 Acura Integra upon impact and died later of his injuries.
As part of HPD's investigation of the case, detectives are asking for the public's help to look for the driver of a white Volkswagen Jetta, who witnesses said had been racing Fujimoto while going eastbound on H-1 prior to the crash. Police said whatever happened, Fujimoto ended up losing control and struck a metal guardrail before going airborne.
"At this point we would like to speak to the person (driving the Jetta) as a possible witness," said Owens. "We have nothing to say about that person being the cause of the collision, we simply wanted at this point in time to try and determine what all of the facts are surrounding this terrible, terrible tragedy."
Police said according to witnesses, the driver of the Jetta went to the collision scene on Waialae Road then was seen speeding away. The accident happened Saturday, June 9, shortly after 4 a.m.
Asked if the Jetta driver could face criminal charges Owens answered, "I don't want to eliminate any possibilities, we don't know enough right now to give an exact answer to that."
Owens said he did not have any statistics about racing incidents because they are hard to come by.
He said even when police pull over suspected racers for speeding, those suspects do not usually admit to being part of a race and the other parties involved are long gone.
[ September 01, 2001: Message edited by: Random ]
08-31-2001, 09:10 PM
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If street racing=idiots, then I guess that 98% of everybody who post their kills on every racing kill forum are idiots. But in truth, who's to say anyone is an idiot. It's only ones opinion, and opinions certainly doesn't make it a fact. People do get killed in street racing, but also people get kill in
Running the red light
Speeding
Road Rage
Talking on the cell phone while driving
Drinking and Driving
Falling asleep at the wheel
Speeding in bad weather
Not stopping at a stop sign
Not paying attention to the road
Not using turn signals
ETC
If anyone of us has done any of these traffic infractions in our life time, then I guess that makes us all idiots, not just people who street race. These are known situtions that do kill people as well..
As for street racing, I have been known to race once and a while. I mostly race in industrial parks, and very rarely on the streets. I never race on busy or narrow streets. The chances for something to go wrong are just to great. When people do something risky, its one thing to do it out right, and its another thing to take precaution to minimize the risk. Remember this, street racing has been around in america for well over 50 years. It's not something that popped up over night. Street Racing existance created the TF&F, not the other way around. In alot of cases this hobby has been passed downed from generation to generation. What I am saying in a nut shell is this, Its still going to happen regardless of what people say or think. In the end it is up the people who are doing it to decide. wink.gif
Running the red light
Speeding
Road Rage
Talking on the cell phone while driving
Drinking and Driving
Falling asleep at the wheel
Speeding in bad weather
Not stopping at a stop sign
Not paying attention to the road
Not using turn signals
ETC
If anyone of us has done any of these traffic infractions in our life time, then I guess that makes us all idiots, not just people who street race. These are known situtions that do kill people as well..
As for street racing, I have been known to race once and a while. I mostly race in industrial parks, and very rarely on the streets. I never race on busy or narrow streets. The chances for something to go wrong are just to great. When people do something risky, its one thing to do it out right, and its another thing to take precaution to minimize the risk. Remember this, street racing has been around in america for well over 50 years. It's not something that popped up over night. Street Racing existance created the TF&F, not the other way around. In alot of cases this hobby has been passed downed from generation to generation. What I am saying in a nut shell is this, Its still going to happen regardless of what people say or think. In the end it is up the people who are doing it to decide. wink.gif
09-01-2001, 12:42 AM
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
I cant stop street racing with my tibby.Everytime i drive i usually have 6 or 7 races per night.The competition is sure very big in my country so i race,but only afterhours where the only cars around are street racing cars.
Its an experience that i cant describe but what can i do?Street racing is my, life
PS i know its dangerous
C U TURBOMAN
Its an experience that i cant describe but what can i do?Street racing is my, life
PS i know its dangerous
C U TURBOMAN