Big Island police have identified the man who died Thursday, October 11, from a two-vehicle crash on Highway 11 in front of Hirano Store as 57-year-old John K. Isabel Jr. of Glenwood.
A van driven by a 33-year-old woman was heading towards Hilo when it slammed into Isabel’s station wagon. The van flew in the air and flipped over, landing on its roof. Bystanders helped extricate the woman from the vehicle.
When Hawaii County Fire Department personnel arrived she was sitting near the van. They transported her to Hilo Medical Center with chest, abdomen, and neck pain.
Isabel was ejected from the vehicle on impact, and was found lying in a drainage ditch with no signs of life.
The accident is under investigation by Hawaii County Police.
