LIHU‘E — Charles Cushman, 71, of Koloa, died in a two-car crash early Tuesday morning on Kuhio Highway near the Walmart entrance, a county press release states. The Kaua‘i Police Department’s preliminary report indicates Cushman was traveling northbound around 4:25
LIHU‘E — Charles Cushman, 71, of Koloa, died in a two-car crash early Tuesday morning on Kuhio Highway near the Walmart entrance, a county press release states.
The Kaua‘i Police Department’s preliminary report indicates Cushman was traveling northbound around 4:25 a.m. and drifted across the left-turn lane and both southbound lanes, striking a southbound vehicle.
The impact caused Cushman’s vehicle to flip onto the passenger side, pinning him inside, the release states.
Cushman, former resident manager of the Po‘ipu Crater Resort, was transported to Wilcox Memorial Hospital and pronounced dead.
The driver of the other vehicle, a 43-year-old Kalaheo man, sustained minor injuries. His passenger, a 27-year-old Anahola woman, was uninjured.
The Kalaheo man declined medical treatment and was released at the scene.
Kuhio Highway was closed following the accident and traffic was redirected. Northbound traffic was diverted to ‘Ehiku Road, and traffic heading south was redirected to the hospital entrance.
The highway was reopened at around 8 a.m., the release states.
Cushman is Kaua‘i’s sixth traffic fatality this year. As of this date in 2009, there were none. There were eight total last year, which was the lowest amount in the last five years.
