KALIHIWAI — Heavy rainfall may have contributed to a Thursday night crash that put a 63-year-old Kilauea man in critical condition at Wilcox Memorial Hospital. At about 7:30 p.m., a southbound Nissan pickup truck crossed a center line at the
KALIHIWAI — Heavy rainfall may have contributed to a Thursday night crash that put a 63-year-old Kilauea man in critical condition at Wilcox Memorial Hospital.
At about 7:30 p.m., a southbound Nissan pickup truck crossed a center line at the north end of Kalihiwai Bridge on Kuhio Highway, a county press release said. The truck then collided with an oncoming 1990 Ford Econoline van driven by 43-year-old Paul Marshall of Princeville. Neither vehicle had passengers.
Marshall said he was driving his van along the wet bridge when he saw headlights approaching.
“There was no time to react,” he said “We collided and I wondered if I was going to go over the edge of the bridge.”
Medics took both drivers to Wilcox Hospital for treatment.
Marshall, who suffered a fractured rib, bruised abdominal wall, and bruised chest, was treated and released. The other driver, who had to be cut from truck, Marshall said, remains at the hospital.
“My heart goes out to the driver of the other vehicle,” Marshall said. “I’m sorry he was hurt no matter circumstances.”
He said that the other vehicle may have hydroplaned in the rain.
“But again, it could happen in dry weather. It’s impossible for me to say whether it was caused by the weather,” Marshall said.
The collision caused Kalihiwai Bridge to be closed for approximatelly four hours. It was reopened at about 11:20 p.m.
The Kaua‘i Police Department reported heavy rain at time of the collision, but county spokeswoman Sarah Blane said, “it is undetermined at this time if weather was a contributing factor.” The investigation continues.
Joe Riordan, a friend of Marshall, said he and other bystanders assisted the injured drivers.
“Last night really gave me a wonderful feeling that the people of Kaua‘i responded right away,” Riordan said. “I thought that was really neat.”
Riordan and Marshall said police and other emergency responders arrived quickly.
A county weather report includes the two-vehicle crash, although it indicates that the crash may not be attributed solely to the weather.
Thursday’s weather also played a hand in an electrical outage in Hanapepe, and caused flooding along Ala Kalani Kua Mauka Road in Koloa. Early Friday morning, a large tree branch, debris and runoff closed Maluhia Road for about 20 minutes when the branch blocked the roadway’s northbound lane.
• Jessica Musicar, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or by e-mailing jmusicar@ thegardenisland.com.
