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A 34-year-old pickup truck driver who died in Tuesday’s head-on collision with a school bus in Honokaa has been identified as Valentine Gines Jr. of Paauilo, according to the Hawaii County Police Department.
Police said a pickup truck was traveling south on Highway 19 near the 49 mile marker shortly before 5 a.m. when it crossed the center lane and hit a school bus head-on. The bus was traveling north in the Waimea-bound lane at the time.
Police said Gines was the sole occupant of the truck. He was unresponsive at the scene and taken to Hilo Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
The bus driver was taken to North Hawaii Community Hospital where he was treated for his injuries. He was the sole occupant on the bus.
Police believe inattention was a factor in the collision.
This is the 14th traffic-related fatality on Hawaii island compared to 12 at the same time last year.
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