A 62-year-old Washington state man died Saturday after being involved in a traffic collision on Route 137, also known as Kalapana-Kapoho Road, 0.1 mile south of mile marker 17. ADVERTISING A 62-year-old Washington state man died Saturday after being involved
A 62-year-old Washington state man died Saturday after being involved in a traffic collision on Route 137, also known as Kalapana-Kapoho Road, 0.1 mile south of mile marker 17.
Puna officers responded to an 8:38 p.m. call and found a 2015 Hyundai four-door-sedan in the middle of the roadway with the dead driver inside.
The man was taken to Hilo Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 1 a.m. Sunday.
Traffic Enforcement Unit officers have initiated a coroner’s inquest case and have ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death, police said.
Police said they will wait for the results of an autopsy before counting this death as a traffic fatality and to see if the man suffered a medical condition prior to the crash.
The Hyundai was discovered with some damage, said Maj. Samuel Thomas, but it was not consistent with a fatal accident.
He said it’s unclear what was involved in the accident, beyond the Hyundai found at the scene.
The name of the man is being withheld pending positive identification and notification of the next of kin.
Anyone with information regarding this crash is asked to call Officer Clarence Acob at 935-3311.
