On Tuesday, a 72-year-old man was killed in Kalihi when a car backing out of a driveway struck him. The crash occurred around 7:55 p.m., and the man was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition before dying. The 19-year-old woman driving the vehicle remained at the scene and was unharmed.
Police Say Case Is a Non-traffic Fatality
The Honolulu Police Department's Traffic Division is treating the case as a fatal "non traffic" pedestrian-motor vehicle collision because it occurred on private property in a Kalihi driveway. The department said this is Oʻahu's first non-traffic fatality of 2026 and that speed, drugs and alcohol do not appear to be factors, according to the Honolulu Police Department.
What Investigators Say Happened
Police told reporters the teen driver was attempting to back out of the residence when the car hit the 72-year-old, who was lying behind the vehicle, as reported by Hawaii News Now. Emergency responders took the man to the hospital in critical condition, where he later died. The driver was not injured.
Recent Crashes and Ongoing Investigation
Kalihi has seen several serious crashes in recent months, including a 2025 incident that killed an e-scooter rider and underscored neighborhood safety concerns, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Detectives from the Vehicular Homicide Section are continuing to investigate the driveway crash, and the case remains open, per the Honolulu Police Department.
