Palani Road crash makai of Kealakaa just before midnight

May 23, 2010 – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

UPDATE – 

Police traffic investigators have identified a 16-year-old Kona boy who was killed in a three-vehicle crash on Saturday (May 22) on Palani Road, .5 miles east of the 38 mile-marker.

The victim was identified as Jordan Rivera of a Kailua-Kona address.

UPDATE – Police have identified one of two the males killed in a crash in Kona late Saturday night, and now say the incident may have involved racing.

Police say the 1997 Honda two-door sedan driven by a 20 year old Kealakekua man, Kyle R. Buckley, was traveling east on Palani Road and possibly racing with another vehicle when it lost control, crossed the centerline and hit a 2006 Toyota multi-purpose vehicle head-on.

Buckley was taken to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:40 a.m.

A 16-year-old passenger in the Honda was pronounced dead at the scene. Police are withholding his name pending notification of his family.

Police say the driver of the Toyota, a 25-year-old man from Oahu, and his passengers, a 21-year-old man, a 3-year-old boy and a 1-year-old boy, were treated and released from the hospital.

The driver of a 2007 Chrysler four-door sedan – also hit by the Honda while travelling west on Palani – was a 23-year-old woman from Kailua-Kona. She and her 23-year-old Oahu passenger were also treated and released, police say.

Police are investigating the crash. It’s unknown if alcohol or drugs were factors in the crash, but police say “speed was definitely a factor.”

Police have initiated a negligent homicide case and ordered a coroner’s inquest to establish the exact case of death in both cases.

Anyone with information, especially anyone who might know the identity of the driver of the second racing car, is urged to call Office Joshua Lewis at 326-4646 x229.

FIRST REPORT:

A three car crash that happened just before midnight on Saturday in Kailua-Kona has claimed the life of two males.

The Hawaii County Fire Department says that the incident happened on Palani Road about 1/4 mile makai of Kealakaa at the double lanes.

Details are few, and no one involved has been identified. Fire officials say a makai bound vehicle hit a mauka bound vehicle containing 2 male occupants, and rolled over. A third vehicle, also makai bound, then hit the vehicle with the male occupants head on.

Fire officials report that one of the male occupants was dead on arrival, and the other was pronounced dead at Kona Hospital ER afterwards.

Two female occupants in the third vehicle were reported injured and transported away. Fire officials say 2 adult males and 2 babies were in the makai bound vehicle that rolled over, but none were injured. The children were taken to the hospital, however, due to parents concerns.

Palani Road was closed and traffic was re-routed onto Hinalani Street while officials worked to handle the situation.

[mappress]