POLICE BEAT
Crash into La'ie tree kills woman
Advertiser Staff
A woman driving a van died yesterday when she crashed into a tree along Kamehameha Highway in front of Gunstock Ranch, forcing the closure of the highway near Malaekahana State Recreation Area in La'ie.
The woman was alone when the crash occurred at 1:53 p.m., according to the city's Emergency Medical Services. She was described as being in her late 30s or early 40s.
KOHALA MAN DIES DRIVING INTO GULCH
A 63-year-old North Kohala man died Friday night when his car left Akoni Pule Highway on the Big Island and fell about 16 feet into a gulch, Big Island police said.
The driver was the only occupant of the 1991 Honda sedan when the crash occurred in North Kohala sometime before 10:42 p.m. The driver was not wearing a seat belt and was taken to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The crash was the 13th traffic fatality on the Big Island this year, compared with 11 at the same time last year.
POLICE SEEK DRIVER OF VAN IN HIT-RUN
Honolulu Police Department traffic investigators are looking for the driver of an older, white van that struck a moped Friday night near The Queen's Medical Center and fled the scene.
The 33-year-old man on the moped was taken to Queen's in critical condition and was upgraded to serious, but stable, condition, according to Honolulu police. He was not wearing a helmet.
The collision occurred at 8:25 p.m. when the van turned left from Lusitana Street onto Lauhala Street and into the path of the moped rider, who was heading south on Lusitana. The van stopped momentarily and then left, police said.
Investigators had no description of the driver.
