Victims of Hwy. 190 Crash Identified

Big Island Now stock photo. June 2016.

UPDATE: Dec. 2, 8:35 a.m.

A woman and a man died in a two-vehicle traffic crash Thursday afternoon, Dec. 1, in Kona near the 31.5-mile marker of Highway 190.

They have been identified as 45-year-old Jeongah Hyun of Kailua-Kona and 46-year-old Iljung Nam of South Korea.

Responding to a 12:35 p.m. call Thursday, police determined that Hyun had been operating a silver 2006 Mazda multi-purpose vehicle on Highway 190 just north of the 31.5-mile marker when she crossed left of center and was broadsided by a white 2013 Peterbilt dump truck that was heading south on Highway 190.

The operator of the dump truck, a 46-year-old Honokaʻa man, was taken to Kona Community Hospital with minor injuries.

Hyun and Nam, her passenger, were pronounced dead at the hospital at 6:10 p.m. and 6:11 p.m., respectively.

Autopsies have been ordered to determine the exact causes of their deaths.

The Traffic Enforcement Unit has initiated a negligent homicide investigation. Police ask anyone who witnessed the crash to call Officer Christopher Kapua-Allison at 326-4646, ext. 229. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300.

This is the 30th traffic fatality this year compared with 17 at this time last year.

ORIGINAL POST: Dec. 1, 3:03 p.m.

At 12:42 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1, first responders arrived at the scene of an accident at Mile Marker 31 on Route 190 (Upper Hawai‘i Belt Road).

The road was closed in both directions due to the accident.

The Hawai‘i Island Fire Department reported that a dump truck with a full load of gravel T-boned an SUV.

Both vehicles ended up off the roadway.

Two people in the SUV died at the scene of the crash.

The driver of dump truck self-extricated and was then transported by medic to Kona Community Hospital.

Big Island Now will provide updates as they are made available by official sources.