Hawai'i Island authorities are on the case following a serious traffic incident in Hilo that left an elderly man fighting for his life. On Monday, a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle while traversing a marked crosswalk at the intersection of Ponahawai and Kapiolani Streets. The victim, an 83-year-old visitor from Minnesota, was critically injured in the collision, according to Nixle.

The Hilo police responded to the emergency call at 2:04 p.m., where they discovered that a 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup truck, driven by a 30-year-old Hilo resident, was in the process of turning onto Kapiolani Street when it collided with the elderly man. Despite the severity of the accident, the driver of the truck was unscathed.

Initially taken to the Hilo Benioff Medical Center, the victim's condition necessitated his later transfer to the Queen’s Medical Center on Oahu, where he remains in critical condition. Police have initiated a negligent injury investigation, although they currently do not believe impairment or speed were contributing factors, as reported by a statement obtained by the Hawai'i Police Department's nixle notification.

The East Hawai‘i Traffic Enforcement Unit is actively continuing the investigation and urges anyone with additional information to step forward. Officer Laurence Davis has been named as the contact point for this case, available at (808) 961-2339 or via email at [email protected] for those who might have eyewitness accounts or other insights to offer.