Naalehu Information Update for November 24th, 2019

A fatal single-vehicle accident in Na'alehu leads to the temporary closure of Kamaoa Road Sunday morning (November 24th).

The Hawaii Fire Department (HFD) along with the Hawaii Police Department (HPD) responded to a fatal single-vehicle accident in Na'alehu Sunday morning (November 24th).

The initial call came in 9:57 am Sunday morning and crews from the Na'alehu and Pahala Fire Stations along with Chopper 2 (from the South Kohala Fire Station) and HPD officers from the Ka'u Patrol responded to the scene located on Kamaoa Road east of the intersection with South Point Road in Na'alehu.

Upon the arrival of HFD and HPD units, a bystander walking along Kamaoa Road discovered an overturned vehicle severely damaged down an embankment approximately 10 to 12 feet off the roadway. Due to the vehicle damage and where the vehicle was located, the bystander was unable to there were any occupants located inside the vehicle and awaited the arrival of emergency crews.

Once HFD crews arrived on scene, they worked to access the vehicle and determine if there were any occupants in the vehicle. HFD personnel later determine a single occupant (described as being a male in his 30's) was within the vehicle and work to extricate the male patient from the vehicle and begin life-saving measures. HFD Medics later declared the male patient DOA (Dead On Arrival) at the scene.

HFD personnel later turned the scene over to HPD officers from the Ka'u Patrol and Traffic Enforcement Unit (TEU) where they began their investigation into the causes and circumstances into the crash.

Kamaoa Road between Holokai Street and South Point Road is closed to all traffic while HPD TEU officers continue with their investigation into the crash.