Hawaii County Police reported at 11:08 a.m. that Highway 19 in Waimea near the Hawaiian Homes Hall has been reopened to traffic. However, Hawaii Electric Light Co. crews are still at work on the scene repairing a downed utility pole, so motorists are advised to use caution.
The road was closed shortly after 4:30 a.m. and traffic rerouted via Kahilu Street because of a single-car crash located between mile markers 54 and 55, said South Kohala Police Capt. Aimee Wana.
Wana said an elderly man traveling west on Highway 19 apparently lost control of his vehicle and struck a utility pole that subsequently fell on the roadway. The man was transported to North Hawaii Community Hospital for observation, she added.
