Driver, 75, critically hurt in single-vehicle crash in Kona

A 75-year-old Kailua-Kona man was in critical condition after crashing his vehicle in North Kona early this morning.

Hawaii island police received a call at 1:19 a.m. reporting a single-vehicle crash on Old Mamalahoa Highway. Responding officers determined that a 2009 Nissan Frontier pickup truck was traveling north on the highway near the 17-mile-marker when it crossed the double-solid yellow lines, ran off the road, re-entered the highway, then struck a rock embankment and overturned.

The man “sustained life-threatening injuries and was transported to Queen’s North Hawaii Community Hospital for immediate medical treatment,” police said in a news release. He was later airlifted to the Queens Medical Center on Oahu where he remained in critical condition today, they said.

He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, according to police.

Witnesses to the crash are asked to contact Officer Dayson Taniguchi at (808) 326-4646, ext. 229, or at dayson.taniguchi@hawaiicounty.gov. Anonymous tips can be provided to Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300.