Association of Owners of Kukui Plaza v. City and County of Honolulu

I. About midnight, May 31, 1942, two automobiles traveling in opposite directions collided on a highway running east and west from Hubbard to Radcliffe in Hardin county of this state. Each automobile had two occupants and all lost their lives as a result of the collision. The highway at that point was practically level for some distance. It had a blacktop surface, was twenty-four feet wide and was in good condition, with a firm, dry surface. One of the automobiles was operated by Lester Sorenson, and Irvin Sorenson, a brother, was a passenger. The other was then being operated by Godfrey Goretska, with his wife a passenger. The two vehicles collided "head on" with such force that the front end of each was crushed and demolished and it required considerable force to pull them apart. The Sorenson car was a Ford coach; the Goretska car was a Plymouth. Both were in good condition before the collision.