July 6, 2008 – Ka’u Traffic Fatality

A 41-year-old Kailua Kona man died on Sunday, July 6th, of injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash on Hawaii Belt Road (Route 11), .3 miles north of the 49-mile marker, north of Pahala in the Ka’u District.

The victim was identified as Peter Paul Queseda III of Kailua Kona.

Ka’u patrol officers responded to a 3:22 p.m. call and determined that the victim was driving a 1999 Kawasaki motorcycle traveling southbound on Hawaii Belt Road when he failed to negotiate a curve, crossed the centerline and ran off the left side of the road.  He was not wearing a helmet.

Speed is considered a factor in the crash.  Traffic Enforcement Unit officers initiated a coroner’s inquest case and ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

Police ask anyone with information about the crash to call Officer Joshua Lewis at 326-4646, ext. 229.

This is the fourteenth traffic fatality on the Big Island this year, compared to seventeen traffic fatalities at this time last year.

From HCPD Report No. C08020684                                                   

http://www.hawaiipolice.com/releases/ka’u%20fatality_04-06-08.html  http://www.hawaiipolice.com/releases/ka’u%20fatality_update_04-06-08.html

June 28, 2008 – Puna Traffic Fatality

A 20-year-old Pahoa man died on Saturday, June 28th of injuries he sustained in a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Kahakai Boulevard and Opelu Street in Hawaiian Beaches.

The victim was identified as Jonathan W. Tripp-Andrade of Pahoa.

Puna patrol officers responded to a 6:31 p.m. call and determined that the victim was operating a 1989 Honda 2-door sedan traveling northeasterly on Kahakai Boulevard when he collided with a 2008 Chrysler multi-purpose vehicle turning left from Kahakai Boulevard onto Opelu Street.

The Chrysler was driven by a 54-year-old California woman.  She and her passengers, a 72-year-old woman and two boys, ages 13 and 15, were not injured.

Police believe that speeding was a factor in the crash.  Traffic Enforcement Unit officers initatied a negligent homicide investigation and ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

Police ask anyone with information about this crash to call Officer Clarence Davies at 961-8118.

This is the thirteenth traffic fatality on the Big Island this year, compared with sixteen traffic fatalities at this time last year.

From HCPD Report No. C08019975 http://www.hawaiipolice.com/archives/Archive2008/jun08/puna_fatality_06-28-08.html

Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway

The Highway 19 section of Hawai’i Belt Road, also known as Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway, was originally completed in 1975 as a limited access highway, according to the Wikipdia site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawai%E2%80%98i_Belt_Road

The current Highway Widening Project is indicative of the disconnect between the community, the County Administration, and the State Department of Transportation. During the public Kona Community Development Plan meetings, the consensus across all groups was to include overpasses (also known as grade separations) at congested intersection locations along Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway. The State DOT has maintained that overpassess is not a popular idea and refused to consider that feature. In previous plans, overpasses were included for the pending Highway widening project, again as a result of community input, but DOT reported that the plan that included overpasses was “lost”.

…more to follow

June 13, 2008 – North Kona Traffic Fatality

A 41-year-old Kamuela man died Friday, June 13th from injuries sustained in a one-vehicle crash on Route 190 between mile markers 18 and 19 in the Puuanahulu area of North Kona.  The victim was identified as Chenault D. Bethea of Kamuela.

Kona patrol officers responded to a 12:16 a.m. call and determined that the victim was driving a 1999 Lexus SUV and traveling northbound on Route 190 when he lost control of the vehicle, ran off the road and overturned. 

Traffic Enforcement Unit officers initiated a coroner’sinquest to determine the exact cause of death.

This is the twelfth traffic fatality on the Big Island this year, compared to sixteen traffic fatalities at this time last year.

From HCPD Report No. C08018392 http://www.hawaiipolice.com/archives/Archive2008/jun08/puuanahulu_fatality_06-13-08.html  http://www.hawaiipolice.com/archives/Archive2008/jun08/puuanahulu_fatality_update_06-13-08.html

Saddle Road Project Delay

The Saddle Road project manager, David Gedeon (who works in Colorado), requested that the FHA allow a two year deadline extension to meet permit conditions imposed by DLNR for the 6.5 mile section of the road between Mauna Kea State Park and mile marker 42; and wrote to DLNR about federal budetary constraints in recent years that prevent completion of Saddle Road improvements within the amended deadline.

On Friday, May 9, the Hawaii Board of Land and Naturall Resourses (BLNR) granted the FHA request, extending completion of the road section to September 2010.  BLNR granted a permit to complete the route through conservation land in September 2001, with a three-year deadline to complete the project.  BLNR granted FHA’s request for the first extension to September 28, 2008.  For additional information, the official project website is available below for reference.

Saddle Road Project Updates – Central Federal Lands Highway Division

http://www.cflhd.gov/projects/StateProjectDetails.cfm?State=HI&WebProjectUID=10385