Maui man, 31, dies in Kailua-Kona traffic crash
A 31-year-old Maui man died after a traffic crash Sunday morning in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii island police said.
Hawaii Police Department officers responded to a 4:35 a.m. 911 call and determined that a silver 2004 Nissan Frontier pickup was traveling south of the intersection at Hawaii Belt Road and the Highway 180 junction when it “crossed over the double solid lines and struck a rock embankment.”
The vehicle then overturned, hit a pole and went down a 10-foot embankment, a Hawaii Police Department news release said.
The driver, who was the only occupant of the vehicle, was transported to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:08 a.m. He has not yet been identified.
The report said speed and alcohol could be contributing factors in the crash. The driver was also not wearing a seat belt.
Hawaii island police’s Area II Traffic Enforcement Unit initiated a coroner’s inquest investigation. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Officer Dayson Taniguchi by calling 808-326-4646, ext. 229 or emailing dayson.taniguchi@hawaiicounty.gov. Anonymous tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers at 808-961-8300.
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The fatal crash marked Hawaii County’s first traffic fatality of 2024.
