A bizarre motorcycle-pedestrian crash in the Panaewa area of Hilo Saturday evening left a man and a woman dead.
A bizarre motorcycle-pedestrian crash in the Panaewa area of Hilo Saturday evening left a man and a woman dead.
Officers responding to a 7:25 p.m. call learned the woman got out of a vehicle at the intersection of Railroad Avenue and Makalika Street, yelling at someone in the vehicle. The vehicle then drove away north on Railroad, leaving the woman behind.
A witness told police the woman walked into the northbound lane of Railroad in an attempt to flag down an oncoming motorcycle, but the motorcycle hit her, killing both her and the rider.
The motorcycle rider was identified as 66-year-old Lionel Chartrand of Hilo. He was taken to Hilo Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 10:52 p.m.
The woman was also taken to HMC, where she was pronounced dead at 10:55 p.m. Police are withholding her name pending notification of relatives.
Chartrand wasn’t wearing a helmet and police think speed was a factor in the crash.
A negligent homicide investigation has been opened into the woman’s death and a coroner’s inquest for Chartrand, and autopsies have been ordered.
Police want to talk to the occupants of the vehicle the woman was in before the collision.
The deaths are the 18th and 19th official traffic fatalities this year on Hawaii Island, compared to 15 at this time last year.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Officer Erhard Autrata at 961-8118 or Erhard.Autrata@hawaiicounty.gov. Those who prefer anonymity can call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300.