Keaʻau Woman Dies as Result of Vehicle Incident; Driver Arrested

A 21-year-old woman has succumbed to injuries she sustained Saturday evening, June 15, 2019, after she was involved in an incident with two separate motor vehicles in Hilo.

The victim is identified as an Alaysha Fujiyama of a Keaʻau address.

On Saturday at approximately 11:45 p.m., police were called to a report of an injured female on Ainako Avenue in Hilo.

It was reported that the victim was a passenger in a 2004 Toyota Corolla driven by a 40-year-old female when she suddenly jumped out while the vehicle was in motion. She was reported to then have run down Ainako Avenue toward Kaumana Drive.

Witnesses reported that a passing red and white tour van pulled over, and when the victim attempted to enter this van, it abruptly sped off with the victim falling to the pavement and laying out on the road.

Based on the description of the van and direction of travel officers were able to intercept the 2015 Ford F250 Transit on Haili Street, conducting a traffic stop at around midnight and arresting the 14-year-old male driver for several traffic violations. The tour van was recovered, with the juvenile later released pending further investigation.

The victim was initially transferred to Hilo Medical Center with head injuries and was subsequently transferred to Queen’s Medical Center on O‘ahu in critical condition where she later died, being pronounced dead Monday afternoon, June 17, at 2 p.m.

The Traffic Enforcement Unit is continuing the investigation which has been classified as a Negligent Homicide and is asking for anyone who may have witnessed the accident or have any relevant information to contact Officer Jared Cabatu of the Area I Traffic Enforcement Unit at (808) 961-2339.

This was the 13th traffic-related fatality this year compared to 15 at this time last year.