Police identified the woman who died following a vehicle wreck Sunday on the Mauna Kea Access Road as Aurelie Vincent of Vienne, France.
Police identified the woman who died following a vehicle wreck Sunday on the Mauna Kea Access Road as Aurelie Vincent of Vienne, France.
Vincent, 35, was pronounced dead at Hilo Medical Center after her vehicle rolled several times below the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station.
A passenger in the vehicle, a 35-year-old woman from Lyon, France, was airlifted to The Queen’s Medical Center on Oahu in stable condition. Her condition was unknown Thursday.
Police said Monday speed was a factor in the wreck but it was not clear if there was a brake or mechanical failure. The women were driving a 2001 Nissan Xterra.
Doug Arnott, owner of Arnott’s Lodge, said the women checked into his hotel Saturday.
He said they told him they took the trip to Hawaii after finding $500 airfares from France.
“Because of that, they took advantage of it,” said Arnott, referring to the cheap flights. “They took the trip of a lifetime.”
The women, who were friends, planned next to visit Kauai, he said.
The wreck occurred 1.5 miles below the visitor center, according to police.
It followed a separate rollover wreck nearby that resulted in minor injuries.