Pedestrian, 71, dies after being hit on Kapahulu Ave.; driver arrested

A 71-year-old pedestrian has died after he was struck by a vehicle Thursday night on Kapahulu Avenue, according to Honolulu police, who arrested the driver.

A Honolulu Police Department Traffic Division report said the victim was trying to cross the street when he was hit by a vehicle driven by a 64-year-old male traveling north on Kapahulu, just north of Castle Street.

Honolulu Emergency Medical Services officials said paramedics treated the man with “advanced life support” and took him in critical condition to a hospital where he later died.

Police said the driver “initially fled the area, but subsequently returned to the scene.” Alcohol appears to be a contributing factor in this collision, according to HPD.

Officers arrested for the man for first-degree negligent homicide, operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant, and collisions involving death or serious bodily injury.

The pedestrian was not in a marked crosswalk, police said.

This was Oahu’s first traffic fatality this year, compared with one at the same time in 2023. Honolulu ended 2023 with 57 traffic fatalities, compared with 56 a year earlier.