NANAKULI — A rain-slickened roadway probably contributed to a head-on crash on Farrington Highway last night that killed a 38-year-old Nanakuli man and seriously injured two others, police said.

Police Sgt. Lorenzo Ridela said a Makaha-bound city and county cherry-picker-type truck with a boom and basket spun out of control near Princess Kahanu Avenue at 8:30 p.m.

It hit a Honolulu-bound pickup truck, crushing the driver's side.

The driver of the pickup truck was pronounced dead at the scene. A 40-year-old woman and a 9-year-old boy in the pickup were taken to The Queen's Medical Center in serious condition.

The driver of the city truck was not hurt.

"I'm pretty sure that rain played a factor," Ridela said.

It was the third fatal accident on the Leeward Coast in 12 days. On Feb. 26 and Monday, pedestrians were killed in Makaha and Wai'anae, respectively.

Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com.