The Wailuku Street Bridge in Hilo was closed for several hours Tuesday after a minor traffic accident required an assessment of the bridge’s structural integrity.
The Wailuku Street Bridge in Hilo was closed for several hours Tuesday after a minor traffic accident required an assessment of the bridge’s structural integrity.
According to a Hawaii Police Department news release, 27-year-old Hilo man Austin Dasalla-Iriarte was arrested following a single-vehicle crash on the bridge shortly after midnight Tuesday.
Hilo patrol officers arrived on scene shortly after the crash was reported to discover an unoccupied 2005 Honda Pilot SUV that had struck a bridge railing and sustained heavy front-end damage.
While officers were not able to find the driver at the time, they did discover that the impact had evidently severed a section of the bridge railing, prompting an assessment of the bridge by the county Department of Public Works’ Highway Division.
Later Tuesday, Dasalla-Iriarte contacted police and attempted to report his vehicle stolen. However, officers quickly determined that he was involved in the collision and ultimately charged him with false reporting to law enforcement, causing an accident involving property damage, driving without a valid license, driving without vehicle insurance and inattentive driving.
Dasalla-Iriarte’s bail was set at $5,300, and he remained in custody as of Tuesday evening.
According to a statement by a Public Works spokeswoman, the damage to the bridge was determined to be limited to the railings alone, and the bridge reopened to traffic Tuesday afternoon.
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