Police said Valencia was traveling west shortly before 3 p.m. in a 1986 Nissan 2-door sedan on the Hawai'i Belt Road a half-mile from the 57 mile-marker in Ka'u when he crossed the centerline and collided with a van traveling east.

Valencia was pronounced dead at Kona Community Hospital at 8:01 p.m.

The driver of the van, a 41-year-old Kailua man, was treated for minor injuries and released.

Police said alcohol may have been a factor in the crash, and have ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

Valencia's death is the seventh traffic fatality on the Big Island this year, compared to six during the same time period last year.