A woman was critically injured Thursday afternoon in a three-vehicle accident that closed Kuakini Highway for several hours.
A woman was critically injured Thursday afternoon in a three-vehicle accident that closed Kuakini Highway for several hours.
The woman was driving a northbound three-quarter ton Ford truck on Kuakini Highway when she apparently sideswiped a southbound Mini Cooper sedan before colliding head-on with a southbound semitrailer near the highway’s intersection with Akoni Drive in North Kona, said Hawaii Fire Department Keauhou Fire Station Capt. Shawn Nakakura.
The semitrailer was hauling a container at the time of the crash, which was reported at 2:21 p.m., he said.
Police subsequently closed the road. About an hour later, police opened Kuakini Highway to one lane of travel. As of press time, it had yet to fully reopen.
Nakakura said the woman was pinned in the truck and required extrication by fire rescue personnel. She was transported by medics in critical condition to Kona Community Hospital. He had no further information on the extent of her injuries other than noting they were “serious.”
The drivers of the semi and sedan were also transported to the hospital with minor injuries, he said.