A 47-year-old Kamuela man died Saturday after the dump truck he was driving went out of a control on a steep Kailua-Kona roadway.
Police said Kurt T. Okada was operating the 1992 Kentworth truck westbound on Kaiminani Drive shortly after noon when he ran off the right side of the road and struck two parked cars, a rock wall, utility boxes and a tree.
The truck then caught on fire which ignited the tree.
Okada, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle.
He was taken to Kona Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 4:04 p.m.
Police said speed was a factor in the crash but are not sure whether alcohol or drugs are involved.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Officer Thomas Koyanagi at 326-4646, Ext. 229.
This was the 16th traffic fatality of the year on the Big Island compared to 14 at this time in 2012.
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