Boy injured when man drives car into Hilo home
Police say a 7-year-old boy was injured and a 71-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of negligent injury early Thursday evening after the man crashed his car into the living room of a Hilo home.
Officers responded shortly after 6 p.m. to a reported traffic crash at a residence in the 1200 block of Kaumana Drive. Arriving officers determined that the man, Wayne Okutsu of Hilo, was visiting an acquaintance and parked his car in front of the home.
According to police, it appears that as Okutsu was leaving, he unintentionally drove into the home, striking the child and crashing through the residence.
The child was transported by medics to the Hilo Benioff Medical Center, where he was diagnosed with substantial injuries. He is listed in stable condition.
Okutsu was uninjured.
Police impounded his vehicle as evidence as part of the ongoing investigation. Okutsu was arrested on suspicion of first-degree negligent injury, but hadn’t been charged as of Friday.
He is being held at the Hilo police cellblock pending additional investigation.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the police department’s nonemergency line at (808) 935-3311.