Hawai‘i Island police have identified the female teen driver killed in a two-vehicle crash in Waikoloa on Thursday morning, October 17, 2024, as 17-year-old Jessica Ann Sprinkle of Waikoloa. Three teens were also seriously injured in the crash.

Responding to a reported crash at the intersection of Māmalahoa Highway (Highway 190) and Waikoloa Road (Highway 191) at 7:59 a.m., police investigators determined that a silver 2022 Chevrolet Spark sedan was making a left turn from Waikoloa Road onto Māmalahoa Highway when it was broadsided by a southbound white 2018 Peterbilt tractor trailer transporting 5,000 gallons of water. Sprinkle, who was operating the Chevrolet was transported to Kona Community Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 11:51 a.m.

The 59-year-old male driver of the Peterbilt was not injured in the collision. The Chevrolet Spark had three female teen passengers, all of whom were seriously injured. They were transported to North Hawai’i Community Hospital for initial treatment. Two of the passengers were later transported to Oahu for further care, while the third passenger remains at North Hawai’i Community Hospital.

The Area II Traffic Enforcement Unit has initiated a major traffic collision investigation and is asking for anyone who may have witnessed the collision to contact Officer Dayson Taniguchi at (808) 326-4646, ext. 229, or email at dayson.taniguchi@hawaiicounty.gov.

This is the 24th traffic fatality this year compared to 15 at this time last year. Indeed, there were a total of 15 traffic fatalities for all of 2023. That means the number of traffic fatalities on island in 2024 has increased 60 percent over last year’s total.