A 13-year-old Kailua-Kona boy was killed Tuesday in a utility vehicle crash in North Kona.
According to a Hawaii Police Department statement, an eight-year-old boy was driving a Kubota RTV X900 in the 72-1000 block of Puukala Road in North Kona at about 5:45 p.m. Tuesday. The rugged-terrain vehicle also carried a passenger, identified as Maxim Beregovoy.
Police determined that the vehicle veered off the roadway, struck a rock embankment and overturned. Beregovoy was ejected from the vehicle and was later transported to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7 p.m.
The eight-year-old driver sustained minor, non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at the scene.
HPD’s Area II Traffic Enforcement Unit is investigating the incident as a “major traffic collision” and is asking anyone who witnessed the incident to to contact Officer Adam Roberg at (808) 326-4646, ext. 229, or via email at adam.roberg@hawaiicounty.gov. Anonymous tips can be provided to Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300.