HAWAII POLICE DEPARTMENT
TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT UNIT
SERGEANT CHRISTOPHER D. GALI
PHONE: 961-2332
AUGUST 13, 2006

MEDIA RELEASE

A 42-year-old Pahoa woman died Sunday (August 13, 2006) from injuries she received in a two-vehicle collision on Route 130 (Keaau-Pahoa road) .3 miles east of the 9-mile marker.

Responding to a 5:11 p.m. call, Puna patrol officers determined that the woman was operating a 1992 Ford Ranger pickup truck and traveling east in the Pahoa direction when she crossed the centerline and collided with a 1995 Mazda pickup truck traveling west in the Keaau direction.

Fire rescue personnel took the driver of the Mazda, a 33-year-old Seattle man, to Hilo Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition.

The victim also was taken to the hospital. She was pronounced dead at 7:45 p.m. Her name is being withheld pending notification of her next of kin.

Police believe that alcohol may have been a factor in the crash and that the victim was not wearing a seatbelt.

Traffic Enforcement Unit officers have initiated a coroner’s inquest case and have ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

This is the 21st traffic fatality on the Big Island this year compared with 21 at this time last year.