Family Tragedy

[pzarquon]

Kahalu'u crash kills father, baby (Honolulu Advertiser)

An infant and a 28-year-old man were killed this morning when the car they were riding in ran off the road and struck a utility pole, EMS officials said... Police said the car was speeding prior to the crash. Initial estimates put the speed somewhere between 80 mph and 100 mph evidenced by the fact the car was sheared in half and the debris spread nearly 50 yards, police said.

Also:

• Infant and adult man killed in single-car crash (Star-Bulletin)
• Driver, Infant Son Killed In Kahaluu Crash (KITV)

Neither of the dailies mentioned a couple of details that were reported tonight by both KHON and KITV. First, that the infant's car seat was in the front seat of the car (and it remains uknown if the driver, who was ejected, was wearing a seat belt). Second, that there is a tragic link between this morning's crash, and this recent story:

• Reversing SUV kills girl, 2, injures boy, 4
• Girl dies, boy hurt after SUV backs over them

Specifically, a cousin of Patrick Davis, the driver in the Kahaluu crash, told KITV that his sister was the one behind the wheel of the SUV that killed Teysia Aku in Punaluu two weeks ago. The media has notably never gotten anywhere near that close to IDing the SUV driver, but this tragedy makes it pretty impossible not to explain the link.

[scrivener]

Re: Family Tragedy

KGMB's news linked the family to a recently deceased Castle High School student who died from injuries received in a skateboarding accident. Not a pleasant story at all.

I was slighty annoyed at the statements made by some officials, which basically said "we need to stick to speed limits in this area." It's true, of course, but maybe the message can wait a few days. That's what I think.

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Family Tragedy

Scrivener, you call for restraint because you are a good-hearted person who feels for the family's grief in this time of their loss.

I'm not. I'm angry, because both of these incidents were preventable.

Patrick Davis had his child in the front seat, and he was speeding. Those are two separate violations of safety laws. Preventable.

And his cousin backed her SUV over her 2-year-old niece. Why wasn't she watching where she was going, and where the kids were? Preventable.

This extended family should be nominated for a Darwin Award this year. Their (apparently hereditary) poor judgment is definitely reducing their overall reproductive success, that's for sure -- getting your own kids killed, or the kids of your close relatives, tends to do that. Maybe if they keep on going this way, they'll kill the rest of their kids and cull themselves out of the gene pool altogether.

Yes, I know it's cold and unsympathetic to say this. And your point is?

[1stwahine]

Re: Family Tragedy

I saw the news last night where the mother/wife was screaming at the accident scene. It touched my heart. No matter how 'preventable' the deaths were ~ it happened. They can not be brought back.

Every time a child hurts ~ I cry. Every time I hear a child dies ~ I cry.

Children are God's precious jewels. We as ADULTS are their caregivers and are "suppose" to make sure they are properly cared for and loved. Unfortunately, there are so many who are not responsible, mature or/and sane to call themselves ADULTS whom can care for our little ones.

This family needs Help. This family needs our Sympathy for they have lost not one but three. The devastation of losing a loved one is great. The devastation of losing a child is even greater. The devastation of losing lives that were "PREVENTABLE" will be in their minds a long time. However, it is not their WRONG. Why blame their whole Ohana for something that two individuals did?

No. My sympathy, love and aloha goes out to this family.

God bless the Children!!

Auntie Lynn

[pzarquon]

Re: Family Tragedy

More coverage this morning:

• Fatal crash second tragedy for family
• Windward crash kills dad and son

The difference in coverage is striking. The Star-Bulletindoesn't mention speed at all, unable to get anyone on record with even guesstimates (only that the car was "traveling at a speed greater than was prudent for the weather"). The Advertiserpiles the numbers in the lede, 80 m.p.h. to 100 m.p.h. on a 35 m.p.h. stretch of road, and the story is full of physics that really give an idea of the violence of the crash. But the Star-Bulletin notes the front-seat placement of the infant seat. The Advertiser does not.

Interestingly, while the Advertiser mentions the Teysia Aki link in the headline, the link is buried deep in the story, in one insignificant paragraph. The Star-Bulletin mentions the link, but similarly only relies on Kaleo Davis' statements.

The TV coverage has been much more visceral, from Kaleo identifying the driver of the SUV that killed Teysia two weeks ago to KHON's footage of Kingston's mother wailing with grief at the accident scene.