An SUV driver who allegedly struck a trio of men on a Waikiki sidewalk yesterday had been cited 10 times for traffic offenses ranging from speeding to unsafely changing lanes, court records show.

John H. Buchanan, 30, of Kaimuki, was arrested after the sport utility vehicle swerved off Kalakaua Avenue at 4 a.m. and struck the men, who were waiting to go to work, police said.

Buchanan was charged with driving while intoxicated and negligent injury. Both are misdemeanors. He posted $1,500 bail last night, police said.

The SUV ran into a light pole on the mauka side of the road, pinning two people sitting nearby underneath the vehicle and also hitting the third person.

Buchanan was not injured in the crash.

Records show Buchanan has had 10 traffic infractions since 2001, including a citation for speeding, one for driving without a seat belt and two for noise prohibition, usually given for playing music too loudly from a motor vehicle. The records show he paid a total of $787.10 in fines.

The most recent infraction was a Jan. 4 citation for unsafely changing lanes and failing to stop when emerging from an alley. The driver paid a $194 fine on Feb. 7, court records show.

Firefighters had to lift the vehicle to pull out two of the injured men, ages 23 and 32, who were taken to The Queen's Medical Center in serious condition.

The third victim, 22, was thrown about 20 feet after the crash and also was taken to Queen's in serious condition, said Bryan Cheplic of the city Emergency Services Department.

The crash shut down the intersection of Kalakaua and Kapahulu avenues for nearly one hour yesterday.

The accident also had a bystander breathing a sigh of relief that the driver didn't swerve any farther off the road.

Drew Partikian said the three injured men work for a cleaning company and were sitting on the wall near the light pole waiting to get into Lulu's Waikiki Surf Club, in the 2800 block of Kalakaua Avenue, to begin work when the vehicle struck them.

"We were outside having a smoke and talking story," said Partikian, who works at Tiki's Bar and Grill, also on Kalakaua.

"I didn't even see where the SUV came from. My back was turned. I felt and heard the stoppage and, ultimately, the impact ... the BAM!

"All of a sudden, I see this car rolled up and these two guys underneath it. It's a total miracle I wasn't hit. A couple more feet and I would have been mush."

The intersection was reopened shortly after 5 a.m.

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com and Dave Dondoneau at ddondoneau@honoluluadvertiser.com.