Witness shocked to see wrong-way driver playing chicken with oncoming traffic
(KHON) — A driver was shocked by what she saw in Central Oahu over the weekend: a vehicle on the wrong side of the road, nearly missing oncoming cars.
Was it intentional? What should the other drivers have done?
We spoke to the witness, who said she was driving while her sister was recording the reckless driver with a cell phone.
In the video, the vehicle heads toward Kunia, driving on the opposite side, facing oncoming traffic.
“As we drove further throughout Kunia Road, he started intentionally going on the opposite side of the road in front of cars,” said the witness, who wished to remain anonymous.
Drivers in the northbound lane were forced off the road.
“I could tell by the drivers that passed on the left side heading toward westbound that they were all shocked as well, because they were all on the grass area. Everybody pulled over. Luckily, nobody got hurt,” said the witness.
The witness said the reckless driver continued for about 10 minutes until they were at the intersection of Anonui Street and Kunia Road.
The witness said she didn’t call police at the time because she was in shock, but looking back, she says she should have.
“I couldn’t catch the license plate. I was too nervous to go closer,” she admitted.
When she got home, she decided to post the video on Facebook.
“I wanted to share it in case that person was still on the road, hoping anybody started tagging people who may be able to broadcast this,” she said.
We brought this to HPD’s attention once again. Officials have told us in the past anytime you see illegal or reckless driving on the road, call 911.
A spokeswoman released the following statement:
Kunia Road is widely used and consists mostly of a single lane in each direction.
Most of the major collisions on Kunia Road are speed-related. Unfortunately, enforcement is difficult because there are few locations where officers can safely conduct enforcement.
If a vehicle poses an immediate danger on the roadway, try to position your vehicle a safe distance away. You can report the hazardous driver, but only call 911 if you can do so safely. Please be ready to provide information to the dispatcher including the vehicle’s license plate number, description of the driver and vehicle, and the direction the vehicle is traveling. Do not pursue the hazardous vehicle.
We want to remind everyone to follow the rules of the road. Slow down, look out for pedestrians and other drivers, and please drive with Aloha.
When we interviewed Capt. Thomas Taflinger of HPD’s Traffic Division last week, he told us a good description of the location, license plate number, and driver will help – even if officers don’t catch the suspect in the act.
“If we can ascertain the license plate number and match the car and everything matches, officers will follow up and go to the house and talk to whoever was driving the car and talk to them about the driving,” Taflinger said. “It shows the driver there are eyes watching, and it wasn’t just the officers who saw it. The community’s eyes on the road are just as important as anybody else’s.”
Remember, it’s illegal to use your cell phones while driving, but if you need to, you can dial 911.