A 3-year-old Kailua-Kona boy died Wednesday after he fell out of the cab of a pickup truck and was run over on the shoulder of Mamalahoa Highway fronting Matsuyama Food Mart. A 3-year-old Kailua-Kona boy died Wednesday after he fell
A 3-year-old Kailua-Kona boy died Wednesday after he fell out of the cab of a pickup truck and was run over on the shoulder of Mamalahoa Highway fronting Matsuyama Food Mart.
The boy was a passenger in a pickup truck driven by his 38-year-old father, according to the Hawaii Police Department who learned of the incident after receiving a report at 6:41 p.m. from Kona Community Hospital. The father drove the boy to the hospital where he was pronounced dead at 6:43 p.m.
West Hawaii Today is not identifying either the victim or the driver at this time.
The driver, his 32-year-old wife and three girls, ages 4, 4 and 6, who were in the cab, as well as two male relatives in the truck’s bed were not injured, according to police.
Police investigation determined that the boy’s sister thought their father had parked the truck and subsequently opened the rear passenger door, at which time the boy fell out of the vehicle. The father, not knowing his son had fallen out, continued up the driveway and ran over the child, according to police.
The 38-year-old was arrested on suspicion of negligent homicide, driving without a license, failure to have no-fault motor vehicle insurance and four counts of failure to use child restraints, according to police. He was also arrested on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear.
Police do not suspect speed, alcohol or drugs to be contributing factors in the crash. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.
