A tragic accident occurred this afternoon on the H-1 Freeway near the Kaamilo overpass in Aiea, resulting in the death of a 27-year-old woman and injuring six others. According to authorities, the incident unfolded around 1:40 p.m. when a 56-year-old woman driving east on the H-1 collided with the rear of a pickup truck operated by a 30-year-old man, who had five passengers aboard.
The impact caused the 27-year-old female passenger to be ejected from the bed of the truck, where she was later pronounced dead at the scene by the Honolulu Police Department’s Traffic Division. Fortunately, the truck driver was taken to a hospital in stable condition.
Emergency Medical Services responded promptly, treating and transporting several others with varying degrees of injury, including a seriously injured 3-year-old boy, a 23-year-old woman, and a 28-year-old man. Another passenger, a 27-year-old man, was also reported to be in stable condition, as was the driver of the other vehicle involved in the crash.
Importantly, police shared that all individuals from the vehicle driven by the 30-year-old man were wearing seat belts, except for the 27-year-old woman seated in the open-bed area of the truck. Notably, authorities stated that speed, drugs, or alcohol did not seem to play a role in this unfortunate collision.
In response to the accident, HPD shut down the H-1 eastbound near the Kaamilo overpass for over three hours to allow emergency crews to manage the scene and conduct an investigation. This incident marks Oahu’s fifth traffic fatality of the year, a concerning statistic, especially when compared to six fatalities at the same point in 2022.
As the community processes this tragic event, it serves as a reminder of the importance of road safety and the potential dangers of riding in the open bed of a truck.