A 17-year-old boy died yesterday following a collision between a motorcycle and Jeep Cherokee in Ha'iku, Maui.

The boy, identified by Maui police as Keoni Magliato of Ha'iku, was operating a light Honda motorcycle, possibly a dirt bike, which collided with the Jeep at Kauhikoa Road and Kauhikoalani Place at 4:41 p.m.

Magliato died at the scene.

The Cherokee's driver, a 33-year-old Ha'iku man, and two passengers, ages 10 and 28, were not injured.

This year, 19 of Hawai'i's 87 traffic deaths were motorcyclists.

MAN DIES WHILE IN POLICE CUSTODY

A 47-year-old man who died Sept. 19 after being arrested by Honolulu police died of a ruptured spleen from blunt-force injury to the torso, the Honolulu medical examiner's office has determined.

Henry Leroy Mara of Wai'anae died at Hawaii Medical Center-West after complaining of illness while in police custody. The death is being investigated as a homicide.

A police internal investigation found no wrongdoing on HPD's part regarding Mara's arrest for trespassing on a commercial property in Kapolei. Investigators suspect Mara suffered the injury sometime before his arrest on Sept. 19.

Honolulu CrimeStoppers is seeking information from anyone who may have seen Mara on Sept. 19 between 6 and 7 a.m. in either Ma'ili or Kapolei. Call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME on a cell phone.

FORMER OFFICER FACES PRISON TIME

A former Honolulu police officer convicted of state tax crimes by a jury will be sentenced Jan. 9 by Circuit Judge Steven S. Alm, the Department of the Attorney General announced yesterday.

William B. Gasper Jr. could be sentenced to up to five years in prison and/or fined $100,000 for attempting to evade or defeat tax, a class-C felony. He could also be sentenced to up to one year in prison and/or fined $25,000 for his conviction of misdemeanor willful failure to file a return.

Deputy Attorney General Mark K. Miyahira, who prosecuted the case, said in a news release that Gasper was found guilty on two counts of attempting to evade or defeat tax and two counts of willful failure to file returns in 2003 and 2004. Gasper was acquitted of two similar counts related to the tax years 2001 and 2002.

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY PROJECT GETS FUNDS

Gov. Linda Lingle yesterday announced the release of $400,000 for design safety and accessibility improvements to 74 signalized pedestrian intersections on O'ahu.

The project calls for installing pedestrian signals with countdown timers; evaluating intersections to ensure compliance with national road standards; designing and building sidewalks, curb ramps and bus stops to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements; and conducting a feasibility study for a pedestrian bridge on Halawa Heights Road between Ka'akau Place and Kealaluina Drive.

The total project cost, including construction, is estimated at $2.7 million. Design is scheduled to begin in spring 2009 and be completed in early 2010. Construction is expected to start in summer 2010 and be completed six months later.

PAIR WANTED IN MURDER ATTEMPT

Big Island police are seeking information on a man and woman wanted for questioning in the attempted murder of a 33-year-old man Sunday in Ka'u.

The victim, a Hawai'i Ocean View Estates resident, was operating a motorcycle near his home when he was struck by a gold sport utility vehicle driven by a 34-year-old man at 11 p.m., police said.

The driver got out of the SUV and allegedly hit the victim on the head with a rock, police said.

Police said the suspect and a woman, 28, drove away in the SUV. Both are known to the victim, who suffered head injuries and a compound fracture to his left femur, police said.

The victim was taken to Kona Community Hospital and later transferred to The Queen's Medical Center in Honolulu.

Anyone with information can call Detective Myra Iwamoto at 808-326-4646, ext. 281; the police department's nonemergency line at 808-935-3311; or Big Island CrimeStoppers at 808-961-8300 in Hilo or 808-329-8181 in Kona.

ANAHOLA GROUP GETS EPA AWARD

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized the Anahola Homesteaders Council of Anahola, Kaua'i, for outstanding leadership in improving community environmental quality, as part of the agency's first annual Environmental Justice Achievement Awards.

The award recognizes organizations for distinguished accomplishments in addressing environmental justice issues, ranging from reducing children's pesticide exposure in childcare facilities to helping hurricane-displaced communities address environmental contamination.

The council is working on improving water quality in the Anahola rivers and streams and addressing the need for proper solid-waste management.

ISLE MAN HONORED BY COAST GUARD

The Coast Guard has presented the Gold Lifesaving Medal, the agency's highest civilian award, to John Dacuag, a mariner from Hawai'i who saved a cargo ship crewman from drowning in the Pacific Ocean at the height of Typhoon ManYi in 2007.

Rear Adm. Mason K. Brown, 14th Coast Guard District commander, awarded the medal to Dacuag at a ceremony at the agency's Honolulu headquarters.

Dacuag is the 713th recipient of the award in the Coast Guard's history.

The Horizon Falcon, where Dacuag was a crew member, received a distress call on July 10, 2007, from another vessel, the Hai Tong No. 7. Both vessels were traversing the Philippine Sea along with a typhoon.

Hai Tong was about 375 miles northwest of Guam.

Horizon Falcon changed course to help Hai Tong. Upon arrival, Dacuag jumped into the 24-foot seas and 40-knot winds to rescue the Hai Tong crew member.