Hawaii County police have identified the victim of a two-vehicle crash at the 33 mile marker of on Highway 190 Thursday afternoon as 71-year-old Bernadette Chock.
Police responded to the accident after a receiving a call around 2:40 p.m. The report states that a 48-year-old Kailua-Kona man was heading north in a 2009 Nissan Frontier when he crossed the center line and collided head on with Chock’s southbound 2007 Honda CR-V.
Emergency medical staff transported Chock to Kona Community Hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead at 5:52 p.m. Police have ordered an autopsy to determine the precise cause of death.
Responders also transported a 73-year-old male passenger in Chock’s vehicle to KCH where his injuries were treated. His specific status was not noted in a departmental press release Monday.
Police said in the same release that the 48-year-old driver of the Nissan Frontier remains at KCH where his injuries continue to be treated.
HPD added that inattention may have played a factor in the crash. The Traffic Enforcement Unit has subsequently opened an investigation of negligent homicide.
Police ask anyone who may have witnessed the collision to contact Officer Kimo Keliipaakaua at 808-326-4646, ext. 229. Those who prefer to remain anonymous may contact the islandwide Crime Stoppers at 808-961-8300 and could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
Chock’s death marks the 23rd traffic fatality in 2017, as compared to 15 at this same time last year.