Yesterday morning in Laupāhoehoe on Hawai‘i Island, a County of Hawai‘i Hele-On bus traveling along Māmalahoa Highway plunged down an embankment, resulting in injuries and prompting an ongoing police investigation. The incident occurred just before 5 a.m. near the 25.5-mile marker after the vehicle breached a guardrail on the ocean side of the highway. According to a statement from the Hawai‘i Police Department, the bus was in the process of boarding passengers when the accident occurred.
As reported by the police department, the bus driver had stopped at the Laupāhoehoe Scenic Lookout to pick up passengers. While walking toward the back of the bus to check seating availability, the vehicle—though reported to have been put in park—began rolling backward onto the highway and down the embankment, eventually coming to a stop on its side. In the chaotic morning incident, 22 passengers, along with the safely evacuated driver, were taken to the hospital.
Hawai'i Fire Department responders were at the scene assessing and treating the driver alongside the passengers. The entire contingent of 22 people on board was transported to Hilo Medical Center for further medical attention. Fortunately, the most severe ailment was a minor hand laceration suffered by an elderly passenger, as conveyed by the fire department. The quick response ensured that everyone received immediate care following the harrowing experience.
