KAILUA-KONA — A homeless man was taken to the hospital Wednesday afternoon after reportedly being struck by a vehicle near Safeway on Henry Street.
The Hawaii Police Department said Wednesday a homeless man reported he was skateboarding in the middle of the roadway, and was struck by a vehicle. However, HPD was unable to confirm that occurred, as the police received no report of the incident.
As of press time, HPD was still looking into the incident, and was not looking for any potential suspects.
Kevin Patterson, manager of the IHOP in Lanihau Center on Palani Road, said the man is a frequent visitor of the restaurant, and walked from Henry Street to the establishment for help after he said he had been hit.
“He came here because we know him and we feed him a lot. We take care of him,” Patterson said. “He got hit by a car and had lacerations on his right knee as well as his arms. He had blackened eyes. He looked like a mess.”
Patterson said him and the employees of IHOP were the ones who called an ambulance, and were told by the man he had walked there from Safeway.
“He takes that route all the time,” Patterson said. “He was alert but obviously dazed.”