KAILUA-KONA — A 50-year-old Kailua-Kona man was struck and killed by a vehicle Thursday morning while walking on Queen Kaahumanu Highway.
The victim was identified as Peter Sigrah.
Police and fire rescue personnel responded to the scene at about 5:50 a.m. to find an adult female good Samaritan performing CPR on the man near the intersection of Queen Kaahumanu Highway and the entrance to Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, according to a Hawaii Fire Department media release.
Rescue personnel took over resuscitation efforts but were unsuccessful. Police said Sigrah was transported to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Hawaii Police Department officers at the scene said the man was wearing dark clothing and it is unclear whether he was walking north or south at the time of the crash. It also was dark when the collision occurred.
Officers said the man appeared to be walking just within the southbound lane, just mauka of the bike lane. He was reportedly struck by a 2006 Ford F-450 operated by a Waimea man.
Police said the man driving the truck is cooperating with the investigation. He was uninjured and has not been arrested.
Officers also noted speed and alcohol do not appear to be factors in the crash.
The southbound lane of Queen Kaahumanu Highway, which was closed for police to investigate the crash, was reopened about 9:30 a.m.
Officers from the Traffic Enforcement Unit initiated a negligent homicide investigation and are asking anyone who might have witnessed the crash to call Officer Kimo Keliipaakaua at 326-4646, ext. 229.
Ed Brown, Goodfellow Bros. Inc. vice president of Hawaii operations, said the company was bringing an accident reconstructionist to the scene later in the day to document for the contractor what happened. Goodfellow Bros. Inc. is the design-build contractor for the ongoing construction along that portion of the highway as part of Phase II of the Queen Kaahumanu widening project.
This is the fifth traffic fatality this year compared with four at this time last year.