Big Island police have identified the driver in the fatal tractor/tanker crash that occurred Friday afternoon in Kawaihae.
Big Island police have identified the driver in the fatal tractor/tanker crash that occurred Friday afternoon in Kawaihae.
The man was identified as Amos K. Agliam, 41, of Hilo, according to the Hawaii Police Department.
Around 2:04 p.m. Friday, police responded to a traffic crash on Kawaihae Road. They determined Agliam was driving a 2003 Kenworth tractor and pulling a tanker-trailer loaded with 8,402 gallons of No. 2 diesel fuel. The vehicle was traveling west on Kawaihae Road, near mile marker 64, down the steep grade, and pulled onto the right paved shoulder, where it collided with a large mound of dirt and debris.
The trailer broke loose, crushing the cab and rolling onto its right side. The tanker was punctured spilling between 1,500 and 2,000 gallons of fuel, police said.
Kawaihae Road was closed at 2:26 p.m. and reopened at 8:42 p.m. Friday, police said.
Agliam died at the scene. An autopsy had been ordered to determine the cause of death, police said.
Alcohol and speed are not considered contributing factors to this crash. It was reported the vehicle’s brakes were smoking, police said.
Anyone who witnessed the crash should call Officer Thomas Koyanagi at 326-4646 ext. 229.
This is the 24th fatality this year, police said.