Hawaii Island police are investigating a fatal industrial accident involving a 45-year-old man falling through the roof of a warehouse in the Panaewa area Tuesday.
At 1:42 p.m., officers responded to a business on Kealakai Street to a report of a man who fell approximately 40 feet through a fiberglass portion of a roof to a warehouse he was painting, landing on the concrete floor. The victim, 45-year-old Peter Tosie of Hilo, was an employee of a painting company contracted by the business.
The victim was transported by medics to the Hilo Medical Center in critical condition where he succumbed to his injuries at 2:19 p.m.
Detectives assigned to the Criminal Investigation Section are continuing this investigation. An autopsy has been scheduled for Friday to determine the exact cause of his death.
Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or have any other information about it is asked to call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311 or Detective Todd Pataray of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section at (808) 961-2382 or Todd.Pataray@hawaiicounty.gov.