Update: Police ID 19-year-old man killed in North Kona head-on crash involving motorcyle

Update at 11:28 a.m. Nov. 26: Hawai‘i Police Department has identified the 19-year-old killed the night of Nov. 22 in a North Kona 2-vehicle collision as Noah Edward Zandstra of Kailua-Kona.

Zandstra was killed in the crash that happened sometime about 6:45 p.m. near mile marker 84 on Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway.

The 19-year-old was traveling south, overtaking multiple vehicles at the same time, when the green 2024 Kawasaki Ninja sport motorcyle he was riding collided head-on with a silver 2021 Honda CR-V being driven by a 65-year-old Waimea woman.

Zandstra was transported to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly before 11 p.m.

The driver of the Honda suffered minor injuries and was transported to Queen’s North Hawai’i Community Hospital in Waimea for initial treatment and later released.

The crash shut down a portion of Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway in North Kona for several hours.

Police have determined that speed was a factor in the collision.

Anyone who might have witnessed the collision is asked to contact Officer Dayson Taniguchi at 808-326-4646, ext. 229, or via email at dayson.taniguchi@hawaiicounty.gov.

Those who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 808-961-8300.

Zandstra’s death marked the 28th traffic fatality this year. There were just 15 traffic fatalities by this time in 2023.

Original post at 10:16 a.m. Nov. 23: A teenager from Kailua-Kona is dead following a two-vehicle crash that shut down a portion of Queen Ka‘ahumanu in North Kona for hours Friday evening into Saturday morning.

Hawai‘i Island police responded to the collision at 6:42 p.m. near mile marker 84. According to a press release Saturday, officers learned that a green 2024 Kawasaki Ninja sport bike traveling south was overtaking multiple vehicles simultaneously when it collided head-on with a silver 2021 Honda CR-V driven by a 65-year-old woman from Kamuela.

The rider, a 19-year-old man, was taken to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:53 p.m. The driver of the Hondas suffered minor injuries. She was transported to the North Hawai’i Community Hospital for initial treatment and was later released.

The motorcyclist has not been positively identified, pending notification of the next of kin.

The Area II Traffic Enforcement Unit has initiated a Coroner’s Inquest investigation and is asking for anyone who may have witnessed the collision to contact Officer Dayson Taniguchi at 326-4646 ext. 229 or email at dayson.taniguchi@hawaiicounty.gov.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 808-961-8300 in Hilo.

This is the 28th traffic fatality this year compared to 15 at this time last year.