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One of Puna fatalities identified 03-29-04

HAWAII COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT
AREA I OPERATIONS BUREAU
ASSISTANT CHIEF CHARLES M. CHAI
PHONE: 961-2341
MARCH 29, 2004

MEDIA RELEASE UPDATE

Police have identified one of the three persons killed Saturday (March 27, 2004) in a collision between a car and a van on the Keaau-Pahoa Road (Route 130) in Puna.

The victim was identified as Harry K. Makua, 65, of Kapoho.

The names of the other two victims, both 52 of Arlington, Virginia, were still being withheld Monday pending notification of next of kin.

Responding to a 1:30 p.m. call Saturday, police determined that a Dodge Neon four-door sedan was traveling toward Keaau when it crossed the centerline between the eight- and nine-mile markers and collided with a Chrysler van headed in the opposite direction.

Makua, the sole occupant of the van, and the male driver of the Neon and his female passenger were fatally injured.

The occupants of the Neon apparently were tourists, police said, and had rented the car.

Saturday’s deaths brought the number of traffic fatalities on the Big Island so far this year to 15, compared to four at the same time last year.

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