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Two Hawaii island men were killed and four other people injured in a head-on collision on Highway 19 near Onomea on the Hamakua Coast on Sunday night, county officials said.
Police identified one of the men as Miles T. Nakanishi, 61, of Hilo. The name of the 65-year-old Hakalau man who also died was not released, pending positive identification and notification of next of kin.
According to police, the 65-year-old man was driving a 1999 Chevrolet pickup truck north on the Hanawi Bridge when he crossed the centerline and collided with a 2005 Cadillac Escalade multipurpose vehicle going south, driven by Nakanishi. Both drivers were dead at the scene, police said.
Emergency personnel took the passengers in the Cadillac — two women, ages 60 and 80, a 6-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl — to Hilo Medical Center.
The children were flown to the Queen’s Medical Center and Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children in Honolulu in critical condition, while the women were in serious condition at Hilo Medical Center.
Police have opened a negligent homicide case and have ordered autopsies for the two men.
Police closed the highway for several hours and rerouted traffic to the Onomea scenic route while they investigated the crash.