Hawaiʻi Police Department
Puna District
Captain Samuel Jelsma
Phone: 965-2716
Report No. Ca5017715
Media Release
A 23-year old man died following a motorcycle crash Wednesday night (June 16) near the 25-mile marker in the Volcano area of Puna.
He has been identified as Ronson Bento of a Volcano address.
Responding to an 8:34 p.m. call, police determined that a 2003 Honda XR100R dirt bike was heading north on Route 11 with no lights on when it struck a southbound 2005 Dodge Caravan that was making a left turn onto Nahelenani Street.
The driver of the van, a 48-year-old Volcano woman, was not injured in the crash.
Bento, who was not wearing a helmet, was thrown from his bike in the crash. He was taken to Hilo Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 9:30 p.m.
The dirt bike had no license plate and was not equipped with features to be lawfully operated on a public highway.
It is undetermined if speed or alcohol were factors in the collision.
Police have initiated a standard negligent homicide case and are continuing the investigation.
Police ask anyone who may have witnessed the crash or operation of the dirt bike prior to the collision to call Officer William Brown at 965-2716.
This is the 12th traffic fatality this year compared with seven at this time last year.
