3 still hospitalized after wreck; cellphone reported cause
west hawaii today
KAILUA-KONA — Three people remain hospitalized following a two-car crash Monday afternoon.
One patient was listed in stable condition and another in critical condition at North Hawaii Community Hospital, Lynn Scully, hospital spokeswoman said Tuesday.
A third victim was medevaced to The Queen’s Medical Center on Oahu. It was unknown Tuesday, the condition of the patient.
The Hawaii Police Department said in a report that a cellphone was a factor in the 5:09 p.m. head-on collision near mile marker 11 on Mamalahoa Highway in Waimea.
A 75-year-old man told police he was driving north on the highway when he reached down to retrieve a cellphone, causing his car to swerve into the southbound lane. A man, 26, was traveling in the southbound lane, swerved, but collided with the car driven by the 75-year-old.
Police said the investigation is ongoing.