Two killed in separate crashes
By Rick Daysog and Dave Dondoneau
Advertiser Staff Writers
The Thanksgiving weekend began with two deaths as a result of traffic accidents in Wai'anae and Kane'ohe.
A 47-year-old Kane'ohe woman, Colleen Young, was killed yesterday morning when her white four-door Ford Escort slammed into a rock wall on Kamehameha Highway across from Kualoa Ranch, police said.
In a separate accident, Wai'anae resident Felix Scanlan, 33, died Wednesday night after his Ford Ranger pickup truck collided with a Chevy Suburban on Farrington Highway.
The deaths are the 85th and 86th traffic fatalities on O'ahu this year, compared with 69 at the same time last year.
Police said Young was driving north near Kualoa Beach Park around 5:38 a.m. when she apparently lost control of her car, which veered off the side of the road and struck a rock wall at a beachfront residence at 49-701 Kamehameha Highway.
The force of the crash smashed the front end of the Escort and shattered its windshield. There was little visible damage to the rock wall.
Young died at the scene. Police said the Escort's air bags deployed, but that Young apparently was not wearing a seat belt.
Police were still investigating the cause and said it is not known if alcohol or speed were contributing factors.
The accident occurred along a dangerous bend half a mile from Kualoa Beach Park near the Ko'olaus.
Jack Randall, who lives next door to the crash site, said a similar accident happened about three months ago when a driver crashed into another neighbor's property.
"They don't make the turns," said Randall, who has lived in the area for 19 years.
In the Wai'anae case, police said that Scanlan was driving east in his black 1995 Ranger around 10:55 p.m. when he crossed the double solid yellow line and hit a blue 1995 Suburban head on. Scanlan was not wearing his seat belt and was thrown from his vehicle.
He was taken to the Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Health Care Center in extremely critical condition where he died, said Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the city's Emergency Services Department.
Two occupants in the Suburban were taken to The Queen's Medical Center, where they were listed in serious but stable condition. Both were wearing seat belts, police said.
A third passenger, a 16-year-old male, was lying down in the back seat when the SUV was struck and suffered minor injuries. He was not wearing his seat belt.
Police were still investigating the accident.
Staff writer Peter Boylan contributed to this report.Reach Rick Daysog at rdaysog@honoluluadvertiser.com and Dave Dondoneau at ddondoneau@honoluluadvertiser.com.
