Two compact cars collided head-on this morning on Queen Kaahumanu Highway, killing one driver and leaving the two people in the other vehicle hospitalized in serious condition, Big Island authorities reported.

The accident occurred shortly after 1 a.m. at the 72nd mile marker in South Kohala. The lone occupant of the first car was pinned in the vehicle and was pronounced dead upon arrival at Kona Community Hospital.
Police closed the two-lane state highway as county firefighters used extrication tools to free the driver and passenger from the second vehicle and transport them to the North Hawaii Community Hospital by ambulance.
Traffic on the highway was cleared of wreckage and debris, and traffic flow restored after police concluded their investigation.