Police say a 67-year-old motorcyclist died after a collision Sunday afternoon at the intersection of Highway 19 and Honomu Road.
Officers responding to the 1:35 p.m. traffic collision determined the driver of a northbound 2018 Toyota Corolla four-door sedan on Highway 19 failed to yield to oncoming traffic and attempted a left turn onto Honomu Road, striking a 1973 BMW motorcycle that was southbound on Highway 19.
Following the collision, the Corolla spun out and struck a 2006 Honda Pilot, which was stopped at the Honomu Road intersection, waiting to turn right onto Highway 19.
Police haven’t yet released the name of the motorcyclist. The man was unresponsive at the scene and was pronounced dead at 4:24 p.m at Hilo Medical Center.
An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.
The driver of the Honda Pilot, a 39-year-old man from Kona, and his three passengers, a 35-year-old woman, a 13-year-old boy, and an 11-year-old girl, all from Kona, weren’t injured.
The driver of the Toyota Corolla, identified in a police log as 59-year-old Brian E. Nussbaum Honomu, was taken to Hilo Medical Center for minor abrasions and later released.
Nussbaum was arrested for second-degree negligent homicide and was released without charges pending further investigation.
Police think inattention to driving and failure to yield are major contributors to the crash. Alcohol and/or drugs aren’t considered factors at this time.
The crash closed Highway 19 in both directions for more than three hours.
This brings the number of traffic fatalities in 2021 to three, the same as at this time last year.
This is the third fatal traffic collision compared to three fatal traffic collisions during this same time period last year.
Potential witnesses are asked to contact Officer Erhard Autrata at (808) 961-2329 or erhard.autrata@hawaiicounty.gov.