A single-vehicle collision late Friday afternoon in Honokaa claimed the life of a 77-year-old Honokaa man.
According to police, officers responding to a 5:10 p.m. report of a traffic collision determined that a husband and wife were traveling north on Kalaniai Road in a 2015 Subaru SUV, when the driver, the husband, lost consciousness and veered off the roadway and into a pasture on private property.
The vehicle sustained minor damage from the uneven terrain.
The driver, 77-year-old Robert Cawley, was unresponsive at the scene and transported to Hilo Medical Center. He was pronounced dead at 8:52 p.m.
An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.
His 75-year-old wife, the front seat passenger, wasn’t injured.
Polce think Cawley’s death is a medical-related incident, but further investigation will be conducted into to any additional contributing factors.
Potential witnesses are asked to contact Officer Clifford Antonio at (808) 961-2339 or via email at Clifford.Antonio@HawaiiCounty.gov. Those who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300.
This is the first fatal traffic collision of 2023 compared to one traffic fatality at this same time period last year.