Manslaughter charges for deaths of 3 Honolulu pedestrians

HONOLULU (AP) - There was a half-empty bottle of vodka inside the pickup truck a suspected drunken driver plowed into a crowded Honolulu intersection, killing three people, according to a police statement filed in court Thursday.

Alins Sumang, charged with three counts of manslaughter, didn't speak during a brief court appearance, where he stood handcuffed and surrounded by deputy sheriffs.

An officer responding to Monday evening's crash near popular Ala Moana Beach Park found the bottle of Absolut vodka in the front passenger floorboard, according to a probable cause document.

Sumang, 27, was belligerent, spoke with slurred speech and cursed at emergency workers, the statement said.

Prosecutors say he recklessly caused the deaths of Casimir Pokorny of Pennsylvania, Reino Ikeda of Japan and William Lau of Honolulu. The truck veered across three lanes, climbed a traffic island, hit six pedestrians, and then crashed into another truck. Three people, including the driver of the second truck, were hospitalized, and one was treated and released.

Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard called it one of Honolulu's worst crashes.

Another responding officer arrived to find people lying on the road and a fallen traffic signal, the statement said.

Based on skid marks, Sumang was speeding, police said.

Sumang was being held on $1 million bail.

The public defender's office represented Sumang in court Thursday. State Public Defender Jack Tonaki said it's too early to comment. His office is still sorting out whether it will continue to represent Sumang.