A tragic incident occurred in North Kona last week, where a 19-year-old motorcyclist, Noah Edward Zandstra of Kailua-Kona, lost his life. On Friday evening, he was involved in a crash on Queen Kaahumanu Highway at the 84-mile marker when his motorcycle collided with a car, according to the Hawaii Police Department.
The Hawaii Police Department report clarified that Zandstra was attempting to overtake multiple vehicles on his green 2024 Kawasaki Ninja sport bike at about 6:42 p.m. when tragedy struck. Driving head-on into a silver 2021 Honda CR-V, which a 65-year-old female from Kamuela was operating, resulting in his fatal injuries.
First responders rushed Zandstra to Kona Community Hospital following the crash, where the victim was pronounced dead at 10:53 p.m., the police disclosed. The driver of the Honda sustained minor injuries in the crash and was attended to at the North Hawai'i Community Hospital before receiving permission to leave, as reported by the Hawaii Police Department.
An ongoing inquiry by the Area II Traffic Enforcement Unit, which has included a Coroner’s Inquest, seeks further information about the accident. They encourage anyone who may have witnessed the incident to reach out to Officer Dayson Taniguchi at (808) 326-4646 ext. 229 or by email at [email protected]. Callers preferring to stay anonymous should dial Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300 in Hilo, as per the Hawaii Police Department. This latest accident represents the 28th traffic fatality this year in the region—a marked increase from the previous year's 15 by the same time, signaling a worrying rise in deadly traffic incidents.
