Police still haven’t identified the 77-year-old Kona woman was killed Thursday after being involved in a four-vehicle collision at the intersection of Route 190 and Hinalani Street in Kailua-Kona. Police still haven’t identified the 77-year-old Kona woman was killed Thursday
Police still haven’t identified the 77-year-old Kona woman was killed Thursday after being involved in a four-vehicle collision at the intersection of Route 190 and Hinalani Street in Kailua-Kona.
Responding to a 2:58 p.m. call, Kona patrol officers determined the woman was operating a 2011 Hyundai multipurpose vehicle that was traveling south on Route 190 when she rear-ended a 2006 Toyota four-door sedan being operated by a 34-year-old Waikoloa man.
The Hyundai continued south and sideswiped a 1999 Jeep multipurpose vehicle traveling north, which was being operated by a 42-year-old woman from Kailua-Kona.
Debris from the crash also damaged a 1998 Mazda pickup truck also traveling north and being operated by a 51-year-old Kailua-Kona man.
The Hyundai continued south on Route 190, struck a stop sign at the intersection of Route 180, ran off the left side of the road, struck an embankment and overturned in the parking lot of a former nursery, which is just south of the Route 190 and Route 180 intersection.
The Hyundai then caught on fire and the driver was burned in the vehicle.
The drivers of the other vehicles were not injured.
The woman was taken to Kona Community Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 7:09 p.m.
Traffic Enforcement Unit officers have initiated a coroner’s inquest case and have ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
Police are investigating whether the woman suffered from a medical condition prior to the crash.
Anyone with information is asked to call Officer Larry Flowers at 326-4646, ext. 229.
This is the 12th traffic fatality on the Big Island this year compared with eight at this time last year.
