Media Release

A 97-year-old Pepeekeo man died Sunday (September 30) from injuries he sustained in a motor vehicle/pedestrian crash at the intersection of Hawaii Belt Road (Route 19) and Kulaimano Road in Pepeekeo.

The victim was identified as Tadashi Yamashita of Pepeekeo.

Responding to a 2:09 p.m. call, South Hilo patrol and Traffic Enforcement Unit officers determined that the victim was crossing the highway in a makai-to-mauka direction when he was struck by a 2002 Mazda MPV van being operated by a 23-year-old Hilo woman. It appears that Yamashita was not in a crosswalk.

The driver of the vehicle and her passengers were not injured.

Police do not believe that speed, alcohol or drugs were factors in this crash.

Traffic Enforcement Unit officers have initiated a negligent homicide investigation and have ordered an autopsy to determine the exact of death.

Police ask anyone with information about this crash to call Officer Wendall Carter at 961-2293.

This is the 30^th traffic fatality on the Big Island this year compared with 29 at this time last year.

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