Waimea resident Willard Rapoza Jr. died early this week after crashing on an all-terrain vehicle, according to the Hawaii Police Department.
Sometime between 10 a.m. and noon Sunday, Rapoza, 48, left his Waimea home on an ATV and failed to return home. At 1:25 p.m. Monday, relatives found him unresponsive and trapped beneath the ATV on a trail on private property located off Fire Road 15 in Waimea, police said.
Rapoza was officially pronounced dead at Kona Community Hospital at 7:30 p.m. Monday. Police have classified this case as a coroner’s inquest. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.
Because this crash involved an ATV on private property, it is not counted as a traffic fatality for official statistical purposes.
Anyone with any information about this crash should call the Police Department’s nonemergency line at 935-3311 or Officer Kimo Keliipaakaua at 326-4545 ext. 229. Those who prefer to remain anonymous may call the islandwide Crime Stoppers number at 961-8300.