Two men were killed Tuesday morning in a violent head-on collision on Daniel K. Inouye Highway, better known to locals as Saddle Road, near the 26-mile marker on Hawaiʻi Island. Emergency crews rushed to the scene around 11 a.m., and the busy two-lane corridor was shut down while investigators documented the wreckage. Both drivers were later pronounced dead, and autopsies have been ordered as authorities dig into what went wrong on a stretch of road that already has a reputation for danger.
Police: Overtaking Maneuver Triggered Collision
In a press release, the Hawai‘i Police Department said a 2011 Toyota Corolla heading east attempted to overtake another vehicle near the 26-mile marker and instead slammed head-on into a westbound 2016 Hyundai Tucson.
Medical personnel started life-saving efforts on the Hyundai driver, a 34-year-old man from Virginia, but he was pronounced dead at 11:38 a.m. The Toyota driver, identified as 70-year-old Todd Matsushita of Hilo, was found unresponsive at the scene and later pronounced dead at Hilo Benioff Medical Center at 12:28 p.m.
Police said autopsies have been ordered for both men, and the Area I Traffic Enforcement Unit is continuing to investigate the circumstances of the crash.
Speed And Safety Concerns
Investigators believe speed and reckless driving were contributing factors, according to police, echoing long-standing complaints from residents and lawmakers about behavior on the highway. Hawaii News Now reports that much of Saddle Road carries a posted speed limit of 60 mph and notes that locals, along with state Sen. Lorraine Inouye, have raised fresh concerns. Inouye told the outlet she plans to meet with transportation and police officials to review crash data and possible safety changes along the route.
Road Reopened After On-Scene Investigation
The highway was shut in both directions while first responders and investigators worked the scene and was reopened later in the afternoon, according to local reports. Big Island Now reported that the closure near mile marker 26 lasted about an hour as crews handled emergency response and traffic investigation.
Police Ask Witnesses To Come Forward
The Hawai‘i Police Department is asking anyone who may have seen the crash or the moments leading up to it to contact Officer Laurence Davis at (808) 961-2339 or by email at [email protected]. The department said the wreck is the sixth and seventh traffic fatality on Hawaiʻi Island so far this year, compared with 12 at the same point last year.
