Residents call for safety after boy’s death Residents call for safety after boy’s death ADVERTISING WAIANAE, Hawaii (AP) — Residents near a West Oahu stretch of beachside highway where a suspected drunken driver slammed into a 3-year-old boy are calling
Residents call for safety after boy’s death
WAIANAE, Hawaii (AP) — Residents near a West Oahu stretch of beachside highway where a suspected drunken driver slammed into a 3-year-old boy are calling for better enforcement at the well-known speeding spot.
Ashton Brown was pronounced dead at the scene of Wednesday night’s crash at the Makaha beach bus stop. His mother and three siblings were badly injured.
The bus stop sits mere feet from Farrington Highway, a dark stretch of road that residents of the close-knit, isolated community on the island’s western coast say is dangerous. A popular surfing spot by day, the beach’s roadside turns into a gathering place for drinkers and drug users at night.
In August, a man, 22, walking on the highway about a mile away was killed in a hit-and-run crash.
The area needs safety measures including better lighting and more nighttime police presence, community leaders told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser (http://bit.ly/Ho2t0I ).
“We feel like we’ve been used as a dumping ground,” said John DeSoto, president of the Makaha Hawaiian Civic Club and a former city councilman. “There’s no enforcement.”
DeSoto’s group planned to hold a Friday afternoon vigil for Ashton at the beach.
Police recently issued more than 500 traffic citations within five hours along the Leeward Coast, but that doesn’t do much for the dangers that lurk at night, DeSoto said.
“A lot of people are very frustrated,” he said of the illegal activities that happen in the evening.
Enforcement is continual, but officers can’t be everywhere at all times, said Assistant Police Chief Clayton Kau. He called the crash a “tragic reminder of how important it is for drivers to slow down and driver responsibly.”
A suspect was arrested nearby on suspicion of negligent homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol. He remained in police custody Friday. Police said speed may also have been a factor.
Mona Neill, of the Waianae Coast Neighborhood Board, said she often calls police at night because of people drinking next to the road along the beach.
“They can get run over because they’re drinking and they don’t realize they’re that close to the cars passing by,” she said. “It’s not safe for the drivers, it’s not safe for those guys.”
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Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, http://www.staradvertiser.com
