Neighbor Island briefs

Advertiser Staff

Police investigate fatal car crash

KA'OPOLEHU, Hawai'i — Police have opened a negligent homicide investigation into a three-car crash that killed two people and critically injured another Sunday on Queen Ka'ahumanu State Highway, north of Kona International Airport.

The collision occurred just before 4:30 p.m. when a 2000 Honda sedan traveling south tried to overtake another vehicle in a no-passing zone and hit an oncoming car driven by Miriam Fernandez, 49, of Waimea. The Honda then struck a southbound vehicle operated by Brandon Silva, 19, of Honoka'a.

Fernandez was killed, along with a 31-year-old Kailua, Kona, man who was a passenger in the Honda. Police did not release his name.

The driver of the Honda, a 53-year-old Kailua, Kona, woman whose name has not been released, was flown in critical condition to the Queen's Medical Center in Honolulu.

Three passengers in Fernandez's car were taken to Kona Community Hospital, where they were listed in stable condition yesterday. The three occupants of Silva's car escaped injury.

Acting Sgt. Christopher Gali said the driver of the Honda is suspected to have been intoxicated, and police have opened negligent homicide and negligent injury investigations.

Solar plane flight slated for weekend

MANA, Kaua'i — The first high-altitude flight of the Helios solar plane has been rescheduled for Friday or Saturday, after scheduled flights last week were scrubbed .

The solar-powered unmanned plane was unable to take off Friday due to high winds in the upper atmosphere, and a takeoff Saturday was canceled because of a computer failure.

NASA and AeroVironment personnel expect to resolve the technical difficulties during the week and have set possible morning launch times for both Friday and Saturday. The initial flight is designed to check the aircraft's structural and equipment integrity before Helios tries later this summer to reach the 100,000-foot elevation, which would be a world record for a propeller-driven plane.