It was November 12, 2023, at 11:32 AM HST when the event occurred.
Early this morning, a single-vehicle collision took place on Māmalahoa Highway (Highway 11), south of the 84-mile marker in South Kona near Manukā State Park, resulting in the death of a 33-year-old woman from Nā‘ālehu.
In the early hours of the morning, at 2:06 a.m., Hawai‘i Island police received a call and quickly responded to a tragic incident. Upon investigation, it was revealed that a silver 2011 Mazda CX-9 was heading south on the highway when it suddenly veered off the right (makai) shoulder. The car then plummeted down a steep 20-foot embankment, flipped over, and burst into flames.
Upon receiving the call, the Hawai‘i Fire Department promptly attended the scene and managed to extinguish the fire. However, during their efforts, they discovered a female body inside the vehicle. Sadly, the woman was the only occupant of the car. She was immediately transported to Kona Community Hospital, where she was unfortunately pronounced dead at 8:32 a.m.
Authorities suspect that the collision was caused by both excessive speed and impaired driving. Sadly, the driver involved in the accident was not wearing her seat belt at the time of the incident. The authorities have yet to positively identify her, as they are waiting to inform her next of kin first.
If you witnessed a collision and have information that could aid in an investigation, the Area II Traffic Enforcement Unit is asking for your help. Officer Dayson Taniguchi can be reached at 808-326-4646, extension 229, or by email at [email protected] The unit has started a coroner’s inquest investigation and is eager to speak with anyone who may have information. If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at 808-961-8300.
As of now, there have been 14 traffic fatalities this year, which is a decrease compared to the 25 fatalities that occurred during the same period last year.
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