Police investigate traffic collision that killed an elderly Hilo woman

Hawai‘i Island police have arrested a 70-year-old man for first-degree negligent homicide following a traffic collision in Hilo that killed an elderly woman on Tuesday morning.
 
At 9:51 a.m. on Tuesday, officers responded to a reported traffic collision involving a motor vehicle and a bicyclist on Akolea Road just south of Waianuenue Avenue.
 
The Hawai‘i Police Department said investigators determined that a 2016 Toyota Tacoma was traveling south on Akolea Road when it struck an orange Recumbent Trike, which was also traveling south in the southbound lane. The driver of the Tacoma, later identified as 70-year-old Carlton Inada of Hilo, left the scene and proceeded to his residence where he notified police that he had struck a cyclist on Akolea Road.

The operator of the Recumbent Trike has been identified as 79-year-old Barbara Klein of Hilo. She was unresponsive at the scene and transported to the Hilo Medical Center via ambulance where she was pronounced dead at 10:56 a.m.

An autopsy has been ordered to determine the cause of death.

Inada was located at his residence in his vehicle. He was initially arrested for first-degree negligent homicide and leaving the scene of an accident involving death or serious bodily injury. Inada remains in custody at the Hilo Police Station while police continue their investigation.
 
The East Hawaii Traffic Enforcement Unit is asking anyone who may have witnessed the traffic collision or who has information about it to please contact Officer Jerome Duarte at (808) 961-2339, or via email at Jerome.Duarte@hawaiicounty.gov. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 808-961-8300.
 
This is the 15th traffic fatality of 2023, compared to 27 traffic fatalities this time last year.