A woman and a man died in a two-vehicle traffic crash Thursday afternoon in North Kona near mile marker 31.5 of Highway 190.
A woman and a man died in a two-vehicle traffic crash Thursday afternoon in North Kona near mile marker 31.5 of Highway 190.
They have been identified as 45-year-old Jeongah Hyun of Kailua-Kona and 46-year-old Iljung Nam of South Korea, according to the Hawaii Police Department.
Responding to a 12:35 p.m. call Thursday, police determined that Hyun had been operating a silver 2006 Mazda multi-purpose vehicle on Highway 190 in the vicinity of the Makalei Golf Course access road when she crossed left of center and was broadsided by a white 2013 Peterbilt dump truck that was heading south on Highway 190.
The operator of the dump truck, a 46-year-old Honokaa man, was taken to Kona Community Hospital with minor injuries. Hyun and Nam, her passenger, were pronounced dead at the hospital at 6:10 p.m. and 6:11 p.m., respectively.
Autopsies have been ordered to determine the exact causes of their deaths.
The Traffic Enforcement Unit has initiated a negligent homicide investigation. Police ask anyone who witnessed the crash to call Officer Christopher Kapua-Allison at 326-4646, ext. 229. Those who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300.
This is the 30th traffic fatality this year compared with 17 at this time last year.