Pedestrian involved in Volcano crash identified; death ruled a suicide

The man involved in a fatal motor vehicle/pedestrian crash April 25 in Volcano has been identified as 44-year-old Collins Kaholo of Volcano.

His death was also ruled as a suicide.

Officers responding to the 12:25 p.m. call learned that a 2012 Chevy pickup being driven by a 52-year-old man was traveling north on Highway 11 when it struck Kaholo at the Ali‘i Koa intersection. Multiple witnesses confirmed Kaholo was standing by a stop sign prior to running into the road and in front of the truck.

Kaholo, who was unresponsive at the scene, was transported to Hilo Benioff Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 4:17 p.m.

The operator of the 2012 Chevy pickup was uninjured.

The Hawai‘i Police Department’s Area I Traffic Enforcement Unit responded to the scene and continued to investigate. An autopsy was conducted and the pathologist determined — based on the totality of the circumstances surrounding the investigation — that Kaholo’s death was the result of suicide.

Because of that, Kaholo’s death will not be counted toward the annual fatality count.

The total number of traffic fatalities so far in 2024 stands at 18, compared with 9 by this time last year.