A 24-year-old Captain Cook man suffered critical injuries following a hit-and-run collision on Saturday, May 13, 2023, on Highway 11, near the 110-mile marker in South Kona in the area of Arthur Greenwell Park.
The male has not been positively identified.
Responding to a 8:46 p.m. call, police determined that a unknown vehicle was heading south (Ka‘ū bound) on Highway 11 when it struck the 24-year-old man who was walking south across the highway in the southbound lane. The man was not in the marked crosswalk when he was struck.
The driver of the vehicle then fled the scene and failed to render aid to the pedestrian. The pedestrian was transported to the Kona Community Hospital where he is listed in critical condition.
Police at the scene determined that there was only one responsible vehicle in the collision. Police located debris from a 2002-2003 Ford F-150 pickup truck, possibly a Harley-Davidson edition. A witness at the scene described the Ford pickup truck as a light color, possibly silver, having a lift kit with oversized tires and a tool box in the bed. Also, there were reports that the collision might have been captured on video surveillance.
Police are asking the public to review their home or business surveillance videos for any vehicle matching the above description during the hours of 8:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. The vehicle would have sustained damage to the driver’s side front fender, headlight and bumper.
Failure to render aid when a person is seriously injured or killed in a traffic collision is a Class “B” felony that may be punishable by up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $25,000 under section 291C-14 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes.
The Area II Traffic Enforcement Unit has initiated a negligent injury investigation and is asking for anyone who may have witnessed the collision to contact Officer Adam Roberg at (808) 326-4646, ext. 229, or email at adam.roberg@hawaiicounty.gov. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.