HAWAII COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT
KONA PATROL DIVISION
SERGEANT LEROY VICTORINO
PHONE: 342-4646
APRIL 2, 2001
G-62954
MEDIA RELEASE UPDATE
A man was killed Monday night (April 1, 2001) after his moped traveling south on Kuakini Highway struck a guardrail at the intersection of Kaleilei Street in Puuloa, North Kona.
The victim was identified as Bartolo Saragosa III, 37, of Lakewood, New Jersey.
An investigation revealed that the moped struck a guardrail and the victim was thrown from the moped and struck his head. The victim was taken to the Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:56 p.m.
The case has been classified as a public accident and an investigation is continuing. An autopsy has been requested to determine cause of death and to see if alcohol was a factor.
Anyone having information or who may have witnessed this incident is asked to call officer Bradley Freitas of the Kona Patrol Division at 326-4646 or Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona.
Since this type of accident is not considered a traffic fatality, it was not counted in the county’s traffic accident death statistics.
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