Rubbish truck driver suffers minor injuries after brakes fail

KAILUA-KONA — A single-vehicle crash at the junction of Mamalahoa and Daniel K. Inouye highways caused a widespread power outage also affecting telephones and internet in West Hawaii, according to authorities Tuesday.

At about 2:48 p.m., a rubbish truck driver was traveling toward the dump when its brakes went out, causing the driver to lose control, according to the Hawaii Fire Department. The driver jumped from the truck causing it to cross Mamalahoa Highway, also known as Highway 190, and smash through 15 to 20 feet of guardrail then up an embankment, sending trash into the air.

The crash sparked a fire igniting grass in the area and damaged Hawaiian Telcom fiber optic cables and Hawaii Electric Light Co. transmission lines, officials say.

Police say the front cab of the truck was burnt.

Officials say the flames were quickly extinguished. However, HELCO crews were pulling trash off their lines.

The driver suffered minor injuries. The road will be partially blocked as crews wait for a wrecker to tow the truck away.

Power was promptly restored.

The internet was primarily impacted by the crash, according to Hawaiian Telcom officials. As of 6 p.m. Tuesday, crews were still on scene assessing the damage.

A spokeswoman at Hawaiian Telcom said 72 strands of fiber were damaged. Crews were scheduled be out all night working to fix them.