KAILUA-KONA — A woman died following a two-vehicle crash Wednesday morning on the Daniel K. Inouye Highway, or Saddle Road.
KAILUA-KONA — A woman died following a two-vehicle crash Wednesday morning on the Daniel K. Inouye Highway, or Saddle Road.
Her name is being withheld pending positive identification and notification of her family.
Responding to a 4:41 a.m. call, police determined that a 2015 Ford passenger van was traveling westbound on the Daniel K. Inouye Highway, near the 21-mile marker and crossed the center line and was sideswiped by a 2014 Kenworth fuel tanker with a trailer that was traveling eastbound.
There were a total of nine people in the passenger van. Three rear seat passengers were transported to the Hilo Medical Center via ambulance, a 22-year-old Hilo man, a 23-year- old Hilo woman and a 23-year-old Keaau man, where they were treated and released for their injuries.
The driver of the Kenworth, a 48-year-old Hilo man, was not injured.
The woman who died was taken to the Hilo Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 10:43 a.m.
An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.
It appears that speed was a factor in this crash.
The Daniel K. Inouye Highway was closed for approximately six hours while the Traffic Enforcement Unit continued this investigation.
A negligent homicide case has been initiated, and police ask anyone who witnessed this crash to call Officer Erhard Autrata at 961-2339.
This is the 28th traffic fatality this year compared with 30 at this time last year.
People , if you get into a car with someone be sure of the driver . Think about NOT driving around at 4 in the morning ,when any normal person is sleeping . Or were they going to work as a group ?
Group riders should choose their best , most competent , most well rested driver . TALK ABOUT IT FIRST ! Who drives ? These people trusted the wrong hands on the wheel . Whatever the excuse . They f-ed up . They all paid the price . How does anyone cross the center line and crash into a semi??? Unbelievable
Falling asleep or texting?
I hear the poor people heading north to the resorts starting around 0400. I used to get up at 0530 to get across Honolulu ahead of the crush and feel for these guys.
Sleep deprivation is cumulative and may have snagged these people. The passengers were likely sound asleep.
It is worse. The first bus leaves Hilo to South Kohala at 3:15 am. So the driver needs to awake at 2 am and passengers just have to hope that he stays awake during the drive.