The man killed in a single-vehicle accident Sunday night in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has been identified as 48-year-old John Ashley Becker of Texas.
The man killed in a single-vehicle accident Sunday night in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has been identified as 48-year-old John Ashley Becker of Texas.
The driver, 43-year-old Kenneth J. Ewing, 43 of Pahoa, has been charged in federal court with negligent homicide in the first degree.
A third man was transported by ambulance to Hilo Medical Center for treatment.
Ewing was Ka‘u-bound shortly before 9 p.m. Sunday when he lost control of the white Toyota Tacoma near the 33-mile marker on Hwy. 11 in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The vehicle rolled over, and ejected all three occupants. Becker was found pinned beneath the truck and pronounced dead on the scene by Hawaii County Fire Department medics.
This is the second fatal traffic accident in the park this year. On Jan. 21, 65-year-old Paul Hernandez of Sparta, N.J., was killed in a two-car collision on Highway 11 near the entrance to Namakanipaio Campground.
If convicted, Ewing faces up to 10 years in federal prison, and a fine up to $250,000. The charges are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the National Park Service, with technical assistance provided by the Hawaii Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Ayabe.