HAWAII COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT
SERGEANT SAMUEL V. JELSMA
PHONE: 961-2332
JULY 26, 2000
G-36405
MEDIA RELEASE
A 21-year-old Kona man died Wednesday night (July 26, 2000) after the motorcycle he was riding ran off Alii Drive and collided with a driveway chain near the 5-mile marker in the Keauhou area of Kona.
The victim was identified as Jonathan J. Santiago of a Kealakehe, North Kona, address.
Responding to a 7:15 p.m. call, police officers determined that Santiago was riding a 1986 Yamaha motorcycle heading south on Alii Drive when he ran off the right shoulder of the road and collided with a heavy driveway chain, ejecting him from the bike. The victim was transported to the Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:45 p.m.
Traffic Enforcement Unit officers are continuing the investigation into the crash and have ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. Speed and alcohol are believed to be factors in the crash.
Santiago’s death was the 24th traffic fatality so far this year, compared to 16 at the same time last year.
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