Photo by Carey Adkison. This is his account of Thursday's crash: "I was driving down kaiminani when the boom truck turned in front of us, with it's boom up in the air. It hit the overhead lines and flipped over crushing the oncoming pickup. Brad and I watched the whole thing! The driver was crushed. When I checked for a pulse she was dead. Shitty way to start the day," Adkison said. "My condolences to her family. Just proves you have to live every day like its your last."
(Media release) — A 42-year-old Hōlualoa woman died Thursday, Feb. 9 from injuries she sustained in a two-vehicle crash on Kaiminani Drive, 150 feet west of Ane Keoholeola Highway in Kailua-Kona.
The woman was identified as Sheila Goto.
Responding to a 9:33 a.m. call, Kona patrol officers determined that a 42-year-old Keaʻau man had been operating a 2000 Ford (crane truck) from a local electrical company and traveling west on Kaiminani Drive when the boom of the truck struck a large cable going across the roadway.
This caused the truck to tip over on its left side and the boom of the truck to strike a 2011 Ford pickup truck traveling east that was being operated by Goto.
Goto had to be extricated by Fire/Rescue personnel and later transported to Kona Community Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 12:22 p.m.
Two passengers in the Ford pickup truck, a 37-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman, both from Kailua-Kona, were treated and released from Kona Community Hospital.
The driver of the crane truck was confined to Kona Community Hospital in stable condition.
The driver and front seat passenger of the Ford pickup truck were the only people wearing their seat belts.
It is unknown at this time if speed, alcohol or drugs were involved.
Traffic Enforcement Unit officers have initiated a negligent homicide investigation and have ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
Police ask that anyone with information about this crash call Officer Thomas Koyanagi at 326-4646, extension 229.
This is the first traffic fatality on the Big Island this year compared with four at this time last year.
(Submitted by Hawaii Police Department via Nixle.)
February 9th, 2012 at 8:19 pm
I would be Very curious about the height of the cable across the road. The police reports are very cautious about details. since we dont have very good reporters here in hawaii, often time details go unreported. Helco,owners of the poles and hawiiantel as well as oceanic which are the lowest cables on the the poles are known for having cables lower than the national standard of 14 feet. almost all vehicles will clear 14′ cable and obstructions. i am willing to bet based on info presented that the cable was less than 14′ and that the driver of the truck, unless he works for helco will be made out the culprit. i live on middle keei rd and we had two major outages due to low cables and bith time the driver was blamed when in fact if the cables had been above 14′ there would be no problems.
extra high and wide loads are an exception and this doesnt seem to bethe case here.
February 10th, 2012 at 8:45 am
I thought those trucks had a safety feature that didn’t allow them to be in motion while the boom was up. Something that disabled the drive shaft if I recall correctly.