UPDATE: HVNP Single-Vehicle Accident Leaves One Dead, Two Injured
UPDATE: May 29, 2017, 1:39 p.m.
One man is dead and two others are seriously injured following a single-vehicle rollover accident that occurred Sunday, May 28 at 8:58 p.m. near the 33-mile marker on Highway 11 in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
The vehicle, a white Toyota Tacoma truck, was traveling in the Ka‘ū-bound lane when it rolled over and ejected all three occupants. A 48-year-old male passenger was found pinned beneath the truck and pronounced dead at the scene by Hawai‘i County Fire Department medics.
The 43-year-old male driver, a Pāhoa resident, was placed under arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. He was transported by ambulance to Hilo Medical Center for further evaluation, and escorted by national park law enforcement personnel.
The third occupant, a 53-year-old male, was also transported to Hilo Medical Center for treatment.
One lane of Highway 11 remained open during the accident scene investigation, and both lanes were open and flowing freely early Monday morning.
Names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin, and further investigation.
This is the second fatal traffic accident in the park this year.
Anyone with information regarding this accident can call Park Dispatch at (808) 985-6170.
ORIGINAL POST: May 29, 2017, 7:42 a.m.
Three people were involved in a single-vehicle accident on Highway 11 near Mile Marker 33 in Volcano on the evening of Sunday, May 28, 2017.
Hawai‘i Island fire personnel first-responders found a white single-cab Toyota pickup lying off the highway on the driver’s side within the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park boundary at 9:07 p.m.
One of the truck’s occupants was pinned under the midsection of the vehicle; there were no signs of life.
Another occupant was outside of the vehicle laying face down, not moving and complaining of pain to his legs.
A third occupant self-extricated and was ambulatory.
There was no fire resulting from the accident. No other vehicle was involved and the roadway remained open with traffic control.
The scene was turned over to HVNP and Hawai‘i Police Department personnel.
The cause of the accident is unknown and under investigation by National Park Rangers and the HPD.