HILO — A fatal two-vehicle collision early Wednesday afternoon closed Hawaii Belt Road (Highway 19) in Laupahoehoe for several hours.
According to Hawaii Police Department Capt. Andrew Burian, a Honokaa-bound Mazda pickup truck “for some unknown reason” veered into the Hilo-bound lane of the two-lane highway near the 25-mile marker and collided head on with a Hawaii Petroleum tandem trailer truck.
The driver of the pickup, a male of unknown age, was pronounced dead at the scene.
“I’m assuming that driver was killed instantly, from the damage to the vehicle,” said Burian, who added the man was alone in the pickup. “I thought maybe the guy was trying to pass somebody, but there was a witness, and they said no, there was nobody in front of the truck that veered over.”
The driver of the tanker, a 42-year-old Keaau man, was taken to Hilo Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries.
“It was the type of injuries that he’ll just be treated and released, I’m sure,” Burian said.
Burian said he thought the tanker was empty when the collision took place.
“I tapped into one of the tanks, the back one. It was empty,” he said.
The crash occurred about 1/4 of a mile to the Hilo side of the Laupahoehoe Minit Stop gas station and convenience store in an area of the highway lined with homes, according to a motorist — who asked to remain anonymous — who rolled up to the collision site shortly after it occurred.
“When I got there, the residents there was out(side) already,” the motorist said. “There was flames, but they came out quick. The (tanker) driver came out quick. He had his fire extinguisher. The residents came out. They were all helping out. It was a small fire from the (pickup truck). It was trapped under the tanker.”
The motorist said the collision occurred at about 1:43 p.m.
Hawaii Fire Department Battalion Chief Matthias Kusch said a pair of engine companies, a hazmat unit, an ambulance and a rescue company responded, the latter “for advanced extrication of the victim.”
“The pickup truck was on fire when the first units responded and they extinguished that pretty quickly before it could extend into the fuel tanker. They did a good job of extinguishing it quickly and securing the scene,” Kusch said. “It’s pretty far from any other resources. By the time I arrived, there was foam everywhere from our engine company.”
Burian said at about 4:15 p.m. the police Traffic Enforcement Unit was on scene investigating and the highway was still closed. Drivers were being detoured to Old Mamalahoa Highway, but Burian added the narrow, twisting road is unable to accommodate tractor-trailer trucks.
“We’re either turning them around or they’re waiting in the area,” he said.
The death was Hawaii Island’s eighth official traffic fatality this year compared with seven at this time last year.
The road was reopened shortly before 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.