A 77-year-old man died in a single-vehicle crash Friday afternoon in Honokaa.
The victim has been identified as Robert Cawley, according to the Hawaii Police Department.
Cawley was operating a 2015 Subaru vehicle with his wife riding in the passenger seat and headed north on Kalaniai Road when he apparently lost consciousness and veered off the roadway and into a pasture on private property.
Cawley was unresponsive at the scene and transported to Hilo Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead at 8:52 p.m. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.
The front-seat passenger, a 75-year-old woman, was not injured in the crash.
At this time, police believe that this is a medical-related incident, however, further investigation is required to rule out any additional contributing factors.
Anyone who may have witnessed the crash or who has information about it should contact Officer Clifford Antonio at (808) 961-2339 or via email at Clifford.Antonio@HawaiiCounty.gov. Those who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers islandwide at (808) 961-8300.
This is the first fatality of 2023 compared to one fatality on public roads during this same time period last year.