UPDATE: Police were notified on Aug. 6, that the pedestrian succumbed to his injuries and died. This is the 36th Traffic related fatality this year compared to 34 in 2018.

———–

A 19-year-old man is in critical condition, fighting for his life after he was found unconscious on the side of the road in Waimanalo. Police responded to the scene just after midnight on Sunday.

Officers found the victim unresponsive and with suspicious injuries. He was taken to the hospital in serious condition but was later downgraded to critical.

The 19-year-old man was found on the side of Kalanianaole Highway, about 700 yards south of Bell Street. Exactly how this happened Police say is unknown at this time.

Police say a bystander reported hearing a loud thud and a red-colored pickup truck, possibly a Ford F-150 or F-250, driving off on Kalanianaole Highway around 11:30 Saturday night. Then about half an hour later the victim was found.

Waimanalo Resident Molena Ayers tells us he noticed Honolulu Fire was on scene.

“It was late, didn’t have any sirens on just the lights were on so I popped up and looked. I didn’t think too much of it because there was no siren,” said Ayers.

Ayers says at night parts of the highway are dark and dangerous.

“People who are less fortunate live in those bushes down there, and during the night there are no street lights and it’s dark over there. It’s hard for people to see people on the side of the road.”

And when this stretch is not busy with people hitting the beach, Ayers tells us some drivers tend to speed.

“It’s sad. I try to put these blue reflectors on top of the telephone poles just to get people to be scared like there’s a cop there, you know, and slow down but they don’t have enough crosswalks the lighting is very bad,” he said.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to call HPD’s Traffic Division at 808-723-3413.