Police have identified the driver killed in a single-vehicle traffic crash Feb. 5 on Highway 19 in Papaaloa as 69-year-old Dean Cowell of Carson, New Mexico.
Although an autopsy has been conducted, the autopsy report has not been completed nor an exact cause of death determined at this time, the Hawaii Police Department said Monday.
Officers investigating the incident determined Cowell was driving a 2020 Ford Edge north on Highway 19 near mile marker 18 when he apparently veered into the right shoulder while approaching a bridge.
The car then proceeded off a cliff and struck the bridge’s support column before coming to a rest in the ravine below.
At the time of the crash, the roadways did not appear to be wet, however it had been overcast in the area, police said.
At this time, the collision is still being investigated as a coroner’s inquest.
Anyone who may have witnessed the incident should contact Officer Blayne Matsui at (808) 961-2339 or Blayne.Matsui@hawaiicounty.gov.