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A 61-year-old Naalehu man was killed Monday when the tractor-trailer he was driving ran off Hawaii Belt Road in South Kona, hit a rock wall, overturned and burned.
An autopsy will be performed for Brysson Lorenzo Sr., Hawaii County police said.
Lorenzo was driving a 1994 Kenworth tractor-trailer northbound on Hawaii Belt Road near the 85-mile marker when he ran off the right shoulder of the roadway and crashed into a rock embankment. The crash caused the tractor-trailer to overturn onto its left side and catch fire. Lorenzo was taken to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:40 a.m.
Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to call officer Kimo Keliipaakaua at 326-4646, ext. 229. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call CrimeStoppers at 961-8300.
This is the Big Island’s 17th traffic fatality this year, compared with 15 at this time last year.
8 people manage to escape Aiea house fire
Eight people who smelled smoke escaped a fire that heavily damaged a two-story Aiea house Tuesday morning, Honolulu firefighters said.
The fire at 99-103 Moanalua Road also caused damage to several neighboring structures and vehicles, said fire Capt. David Jenkins.
The fire was reported at 7:19 a.m., and firefighters arrived at 7:22 a.m. to find smoke and flames coming from the front of the structure, Jenkins said. Firefighters had the fire under control by 7:44 a.m. One man was treated at the scene by paramedics but declined transportation to a hospital.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, and the value of the damage was being assessed, Jenkins said.
Visitor dies in apparent drowning at resort
A 76-year-old California woman apparently drowned in a resort swimming pool Monday in South Kohala. Hawaii island police identified the woman Tuesday as Brenda Chodroff of Lafayette, Calif. An autopsy has been ordered.
Police said officers responded at about 3:40 p.m. to a report of an unresponsive woman in a pool at a resort on Mauna Kea Beach Drive. Resort staff were already performing CPR by the time police and firefighters arrived. Firefighters took over but could not revive Chodroff.
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