Fourth head-on collision in a month The driver of a pickup truck that collided with a gasoline tanker last Saturday on Kaumualii Highway remained hospitalized in critical condition yesterday. In the fourth such accident on Kaua’i in recent weeks, the
Fourth head-on collision in a month
The driver of a pickup truck that collided with a gasoline tanker last Saturday on Kaumualii Highway remained hospitalized in critical condition yesterday.
In the fourth such accident on Kaua’i in recent weeks, the pickup was heading west early in the morning when it crossed the centerline and crashed into the 18-wheel tanker proceeding in the opposite direction near the Moi Street intersection, acording to Kaua’i County Police.
The pickup driver, a 52-year-old male, was first taken to Kaua’i Veteran’s Memorial Hospital and then was flown to an Oahu hospital, where at last report he was in critical condition.
The tanker driver, a 36-year-old male, was not injured, officials said.
The drivers’ names haven’t been released by authorities.
The cause of the crash is under investigation. Neither speed nor alcohol appear to have been factors in the accident, police said.
This was the fourth accident in the past month on Kaua’i in which a vehicle crossed a highway centerline and struck an oncoming vehicle. One of the crashes, on Kuhio Highway near Wailua Golf Course, resulted in a driver’s death.
In another accident on Kaumualii Highway Aug. 12, officials credited an infant car seat with saving the life of 1-year-old Jonathan Kishaba.
The boy was a passenger in a vehicle driven by his mother, Sandra Kishaba, when a collision with another vehicle occurred in the Kipu area. His car seat was damaged in the accident, but it saved his life, according to the Kaua’i Keiki Injury Prevention Coalition, which provided and installed a new seat.
The coalition is planning a free child safety seat inspection for 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 15 at Kaua’i Community College.
Staff writer Dennis Wilken contributed to this report.
