A 21-year-old woman from Puna, initially reported in critical condition after a traffic collision in Kurtistown, has passed away, authorities from the Hawai'i Island police announced. The victim, identified as Jahnya Serquina-Octubre of Mountain View, succumbed to her injuries on January 24 around 12:16 p.m., and she was kept on life support until January 28, 12:30 p.m., when life support was withdrawn after an autopsy had been ordered to ascertain the exact cause of death, as per an update published by the Hawaii Police Department.
The accident involving Serquina-Octubre occurred on January 22 around 7:56 p.m. along Highway 11 by the 10 mile-marker, the driver of the involved 2016 Honda CRV, a 74-year-old man also from Mountain View, appeared unscathed, previous coverage by Hoodline stated multiple witnesses saw her on the roadway prior to the event, and despite efforts to save her, after transport to Hilo Benioff Medical Center in what initially was a desperate bid to cling to the fragile threads of life that remained inevitable took a grievous turn.
The East Hawai'i Traffic Enforcement Unit has since reclassified the matter as negligent homicide; impairment or speed have been ruled out as factors. The ongoing investigation encourages anyone with knowledge of the collision to reach out to Officer Johnathan Rapoza at (808) 961-2339 or via email at [email protected], while those opting for anonymity may contact Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300, as detailed by the Hawaii Police Department. This is the third traffic fatality in the area in 2025, the same number as at this time last year.
