Big Island woman dies in crash with bus carrying church group

By Hugh Clark
Advertiser Big Island Bureau

PEPE'EKEO, Hawai'i — An elderly woman was killed yesterday when her car crashed into a school bus carrying a church group traveling from Kona to Hilo on the Hawai'i Belt Road, north of Hilo.

Police said Mitsuko Ikeda, 74, of Hilo was north bound when she crashed into the south bound bus. The accident closed the island's main north-south highway for four hours.

The county's fire rescue squad responded at 4:11 p.m. to the crash site between Pepe'ekeo and Honomu on the South Hilo coast.

Until the highway was reopened about 8 p.m., traffic was rerouted over an old unpaved cane-haul road.

Police said there were 15 people on the bus, which was carrying the group home after a church function.

No one on the bus was injured.