A 55-year-old Naalehu woman who was a passenger on a motorcycle involved in a motor vehicle/motorcycle crash on October 13, 2007, on the Hawaii Belt Road (Route 11) in the area of the 106 Mile-Marker has died.

The victim was identified as Su Mei Billman, of a Naalehu address.

Responding to a 2:05 p.m. call, Kona patrol officers determined that Edward Billman, 55, of Naalehu was operating a Harley Davidson motorcycle along with his wife and traveling north on the Hawaii Belt Road when a 49-year-old Captain cook man operating a 1999 Ford Ranger pick-up truck and traveling south made a left turn in front of the motorcycle.

Su Mei Billman was transported to the Kona Community Hospital and later flown to the Queen’s medical Center on Oahu where she died Wednesday (October 24, 2007) at 8:56 p.m.

Edward Billman also died in the crash.

The driver of the pick-up truck, Anthony Henriques, was arrested for negligent homicide and negligent injury. He was later released without charges pending further investigation. It is unknown at this time if alcohol or drugs were involved but speed did play a factor in the crash.

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

This is the 33rd traffic fatality on the Big Island this year compared to 29 at the same time last year.