Two people were killed and several others were injured Friday afternoon in a violent head-on collision on Daniel K. Inouye Highway on Hawaiʻi Island, shutting down the busy cross-island route for hours between mile markers 13 and 14 on the stretch locals know as Saddle Road.
Crash details
According to the Hawaiʻi Police Department, first responders were called at about 3:38 p.m. when a westbound 2018 Toyota Tacoma lost control on a wet curve, crossed the center line and slammed into an eastbound 2008 Dodge Ram 3500 that was towing a trailer with a Kubota mini-excavator.
The front-seat passenger in the Tacoma, 29-year-old Troy Rasse of Pāhoa, and a rear-seat passenger, 24-year-old Jadelyn Cariaga of Hilo, were found unresponsive and later pronounced dead. Police said neither was wearing a seat belt. Autopsies have been ordered as investigators continue to reconstruct the wreck.
Injuries and response
The Tacoma’s driver, a 21-year-old man from Paʻauilo, was taken to Hilo Benioff Medical Center and listed in stable condition. Multiple other passengers, including a 26-year-old Hilo woman and the 43-year-old driver of the Dodge, were medevacked to The Queen’s Medical Center for further treatment. A front-seat passenger in the Dodge suffered minor injuries and was later released, as reported by Hawaii News Now.
Emergency personnel remained on scene for hours, working through rain and traffic backups to clear the wreckage and scattered debris.
Road closure and timeline
Hawaiʻi Police closed the highway between mile markers 13 and 14 while the Area I Traffic Enforcement Unit processed the scene, and the roadway reopened only after first responders finished their on-site investigation and cleanup. Big Island Now advised motorists to steer clear of the area and use alternate routes while crews worked.
Wider pattern on Saddle Road
Authorities say this is the second double-fatal crash within roughly a 13-mile stretch of DKI Highway in the past 10 days, pushing the island’s traffic death toll for 2026 into double digits. Residents and lawmakers have renewed calls for safety reviews along Saddle Road, concerns that surfaced in local coverage after an earlier crash this month, according to Hoodline.
Police appeal
Police asked anyone with information about Friday’s collision to contact Officer Jerome Duarte at (808) 961-2339 or [email protected], or call the department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311, per the Hawaiʻi Police Department. The Area I Traffic Enforcement Unit continues to investigate under report number 26-041441.
