SOUTH HILO, HI – South Hilo patrol officers and Hawaii Fire Department personnel responded to a deadly collision involving two pickup trucks on Friday afternoon, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Police said the driver of a 2018 Toyota Tacoma pickup was heading west on Daniel K. Inouye Highway at about 3:38 p.m. and lost control of the vehicle on a wet curve of the roadway at the 13-mile marker. The Toyota crossed over the center line and crashed head-on into a 2008 Dodge Ram 3500 pickup going eastbound. The Dodge was towing a trailer carrying a mini excavator.
The front seat passenger of the Tacoma, identified as 29-year-old Troy Rasse of Pahoa, and a rear-seat passenger in the Tacoma, identified as 24-year-old Jadelyn Cariaga of Hilo, were pronounced dead shortly after the accident. Neither victim was wearing a seat belt, police said.
The Tacoma driver, a 21-year-old man from Paauilo, was taken to Hilo Benioff Medical Center in stable condition. A 26-year-old Hilo woman riding in the Tacoma and the 43-year-old driver of the Dodge were initially taken to the same hospital before being transported to The Queen’s Medical Center for further treatment
A 42-year-old passenger in the Dodge suffered minor injuries and was later released from the hospital.
Daniel K. Inouye Highway was closed in both directions between mile markers 13 and 14 for over three hours while first responders cleared the scene.
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