Witnesses sought to transfer station fatality

Police are seeking witnesses to a fatal vehicle-pedestrian collision that happened Friday at the Keaau transfer station.

In response to an 11:13 a.m. call Friday, officers determined 78-year-old Gary S. Ambrose of Keaau was facing west at a trash chute to dump garbage when he was struck by a 1990 Dodge van being driven by 66-year-old Perla Whitehawk-Taylor of Hilo, who was backing up.

Ambrose was taken to Hilo Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:40 p.m.

Whitehawk-Taylor was arrested on suspicion of first-degree negligent homicide and driving under the influence and then released pending further investigation.

Anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to call the department’s nonemergency line at 935-3311, Officer Casey Cabral at 961-8889 or Crime Stoppers at 961-8300.