LIHUE — Kauai police and firefighters recovered the body of a Wainiha man Friday afternoon after locating his truck in waters off Kuhio Highway in Haena. The victim, who is believed to be in his 60s, has not yet been
LIHUE — Kauai police and firefighters recovered the body of a Wainiha man Friday afternoon after locating his truck in waters off Kuhio Highway in Haena.
The victim, who is believed to be in his 60s, has not yet been identified. He is believed to be the sole occupant in the truck at the time of the one-vehicle crash.
According to a preliminary investigation, the man was driving north on Kuhio Highway, just north of the Wainiha twin bridges area at State Mile Marker 7. His Dodge pickup truck apparently veered off the roadway and then fell roughly 20 feet off a cliff and landed upside-down on the rocky shoreline below.
A bystander noticed the truck fully submerged in water and reported it to police about 7:15 a.m. Rescuers responded to the scene and located the unresponsive victim trapped inside of the vehicle.
It is not clear at this point when the crash occurred. An autopsy has been requested and the incident remains under investigation.
Kuhio Highway was closed in both directions from about 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. while crews recovered the victim and vehicle.
This is Kauai’s fifth traffic fatality this year.
