Two-vehicle crash on Big Island leaves one dead, several injured

Hawai‘i Island police are investigating a fatal two-vehicle collision on Daniel K. Inouye Highway that left one woman dead and five others seriously injured, including a 3-week-old infant.

At approximately 4:34 p.m. on Thursday, South Hilo Patrol officers, along with personnel from the Hawai‘i Fire Department and Pōhakuloa Fire and Emergency Services, responded to a report of a head-on collision near mile marker 25.

Through the course of their investigation, police determined that a 2022 Toyota pickup truck traveling Hilo-bound overtook multiple vehicles and struck a Kona-bound 2014 Subaru multipurpose vehicle head-on. The driver of the pickup truck, identified as Kimo Medeiros, 43, of Kurtistown, and five occupants of the Subaru were transported to Hilo Benioff Medical Center for treatment.

A sixth passenger, who was in the backseat of the Subaru, identified as 47-year-old Anina Masaichy of Kailua-Kona, was unresponsive at the scene and later pronounced dead at 7:53 p.m. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.

The five other Subaru occupants, a 3-week-old female infant, a 4-year-old boy, a 17-year-old girl, and two adults, an 18-year-old female and a 51-year-old male, suffered serious injuries. The infant and 4-year-old were medevaced to Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women and Children on O‘ahu, while the 17-year-old was flown to the Queen’s Medical Center on O‘ahu for further treatment.

Medeiros was arrested for:

• Suspicion of driving under the influence of an intoxicant
• First-degree negligent homicide
• Three counts of first-degree negligent injury
• Two counts of second-degree negligent injury
• Reckless driving
• Driving without a license

He was transported to Hilo Benioff Medical Center for his injuries and then medevaced to Queen’s Medical Center where he remains in serious condition.

Speed, alcohol, and/or drugs are believed to be possible contributing factors in the crash.

Daniel K. Inouye Highway was closed in both directions during the investigation and has since reopened.

The Area I Traffic Enforcement Unit is continuing the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Officer Laurence Davis at 808-961-2391 or via email at Laurence.Davis@hawaiipolice.gov.

Tipsters may also call the department’s non-emergency line at 808-935-3311.

This is the 19th traffic fatality of 2025 as compared to 25 traffic fatalities this same time last year.