Honolulu police said heavy rain played a part in a fatal accident yesterday morning at 2310 Kamehameha Highway across from the O'ahu Community Correction Center.

A 78-year-old woman died after the silver 1980s model Dodge Aries in which she was a passenger was struck broadside at around 8:45 a.m.

"The people who arrived at the scene first said it was raining very hard," said Sgt. Michael Brede with the police Traffic Division, who was investigating the crash. "I would assume it was a factor."

"Apparently there was a downpour," added police Lt. Robert Chinen. "It was an elderly couple, a husband and wife."

The fatality brought the traffic death toll on Oahu so far this year to 17 compared to 19 during the same period last year.

Both officers said that in yesterday's accident the Aries, driven by the woman's 82-year-old husband, was headed east on Kamehameha Highway when it attempted to make a left turn into the Marukai Wholesale Mart parking lot.

The Aries was struck on the passenger side by an oncoming 1990s model gold Dodge Stratus, driven by a 54-year-old man.

The impact caved in the right side of the Aries, which spun around and came to rest when the rear of the car slammed into the metal fence next to the front gate of the wholesale mart. The Stratus also ended up near the entrance.

The woman was taken to The Queen's Medical Center where she died, Brede said. Both drivers were treated for "nonfatal injuries," he said.

Both westbound lanes of Kamehameha Highway were closed during the investigation, although one lane was opened later to accommodate traffic. Both Dodges were towed away at 12:45 p.m. and westbound lanes opened to traffic at 1 p.m.

Yesterday's death was also the fifth traffic fatality on O'ahu during the past three weeks.

Other recent fatalities: