UPDATE: Woman in Crash Died of Medical Condition

A 77-year-old Kona woman involved in a multi-car crash last week in Kona died from a medical condition, and not from injuries sustained in the crash, police said.

Alehandra Lauro of Kailua-Kona was found in her burning vehicle after she was involved in a chain of events that began when she rear-ended a vehicle at the intersection of Route 190 and Hina Lani Street, a mauka-makai connector between that roadway and Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway.

Because Lauro died from a medical issue and not from the traffic crashes, police have reduced the number of traffic fatalities around the island to 11 this year.

Police responding to a 2:58 p.m. call on Thursday found that the woman’s 2011 Hyundai multi-purpose vehicle traveling south on Route 19 had struck the rear of a 2006 Toyota four-door sedan operated by a 34-year-old Waikoloa man.

After striking the Toyota, the woman’s vehicle continued south and sideswiped a northbound 1999 Jeep driven by a 42-year-old Kailua-Kona woman.

The Hyundai then continued further south until it struck a stop sign at the intersection with Route 180, the road to Holualoa. From that point it ran off the mauka side of the road, struck an embankment and overturned in the parking lot of an old nursery.

Police said the Hyundai then caught fire with Lauro still inside.

A fourth vehicle, a 1998 Mazda pick-up being driven north by a 51-year-old Kailua-Kona man, was also damaged by debris caused by the crash.

None of the other drivers was injured.

Anyone with information about the accident is asked to call Officer Larry Flowers at 326-4646, extension 229.