Man arrested after fallen tree hits truck

OMA‘O — A Koloa man was arrested for reckless endangerment Wednesday after a pine tree he cut down landed on a truck traveling along Kaumuali‘i Highway in Oma‘o, according to county officials.

At approximately 1:30 p.m., a police officer came upon the scene in the vicinity of Kahili Mountain Park.

According to a preliminary police report, Peter Kealohi, age 43, was hired by a private property owner to cut down a large pine tree on the lot, which borders the park-side of Kaumuali‘i Highway.

As Kealohi was cutting down the tree, it fell across the highway and landed on a Dodge pickup truck in the eastbound lane, smashing the roof and bed of the truck and injuring the driver. The woman, age 64 of Koloa, was transported to Wilcox Memorial Hospital with a possible neck injury and was later released.

Another pickup, also heading east, sustained front-end damage when it collided with the fallen tree. The 39-year-old operator of that truck was not injured.

Keolohi was arrested for second degree reckless endangering and transported to police cellblock. He was booked and released pending an initial court appearance.

Kaumuali‘i Highway was closed for roughly an hour while crews worked to clear the roadway. During the closure, westbound traffic was rerouted to Maluhia Road while eastbound traffic was directed onto Oma‘o Road.