Police subsidized vehicle reportedly involved in Aiea hit-and-run

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - HNN Investigates a hit-and-run crash involving a Honolulu Police Department subsidized vehicle that reportedly slammed into the back of a parked pickup truck in Aiea.

Law enforcement sources say an HPD sergeant, who claimed to be a passenger in that police vehicle, told responding officers the man in the driver’s seat took off.

It’s a story HNN Investigates was tipped off to by multiple law enforcement sources.

On Saturday, Nov. 23 at 12:01 a.m., records indicate the subsidized vehicle crashed into a Toyota Tacoma that was parked along Nahele Street. The force of the collision left the rear driver’s side of the truck mangled.

According to an HNN Investigates source, an HPD sergeant who was allegedly in the subsidized vehicle at the time of the crash told people at the scene he wasn’t the driver, claiming the man behind the wheel was intoxicated and left.

HNN Investigates

We’re told prior to the crash, that sergeant attended a party. When we asked HPD if that was true, the department didn’t answer our question. Officials also wouldn’t tell us who the subsidized vehicle belonged to, saying it’s under investigation.

While HPD confirms it’s opened a criminal investigation into the hit-and-run, a department spokesperson told us HPD has not launched an internal investigation into any of its officers.

“None of this makes a bit of sense,” said Tom Simon.

The retired FBI agent and law enforcement expert added, “When there’s a cloud of suspicious surrounding a police officer in an auto accident in a subsidized vehicle, an administrative investigation makes total sense. That may exonerate the officer, or maybe it means that officer needs to be counseled or disciplined.”

HNN Investigates has put in a request for the body camera video of the first responding officer in this case.

We also asked the department if HPD Chief Joe Logan could sit down with us and discuss the crash in an interview.

In an email, HPD spokesperson Michelle Yu replied, “The investigation is continuing and no further information is being released at this time.”

In a separate email Yu said, “As part of the investigation, investigators will be determining if the case should be reclassified.”

The sergeant at the center of all this is a 19-year veteran of the department and is currently on full duty. He’s assigned to the Pearl City police station.

We left a message for him there Monday in an effort to get more of his side of the story. We have not heard back.

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