Three-car collision started with one vehicle crossing center line One man died in a three-car accident Sunday morning on Kuhio Highway in front of Wailua Golf Course. The accident, which took place at approximately 9:30 a.m., happened when one vehicle
Three-car collision started with one vehicle crossing center line
One man died in a three-car accident Sunday morning on Kuhio Highway in front of Wailua Golf Course.
The accident, which took place at approximately 9:30 a.m., happened when one vehicle crossed the center line and collided with two others, officials reported.
James Dorman, 41, of Kapa’a, died at the scene.
Kaua’i County Police said Dorman’s vehicle was heading north when it crossed the centerline and struck a southbound sports utility vehicle at mile marker 4 on Kuhio Highway.
Dorman was ejected and suffered massive head injuries, according to emergency personnel at the accident site.
The corpse, covered by a blanket, lay alongside the highway for at least an hour because of authorities’ difficulty locating mortuary personnel.
The driver of the sports utility vehicle, a 26-year-old man who was wearing a seatbelt, was treated for “relatively minor injuries” and was released, police said.
The occupants of the third vehicle, a 69-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman, also were treated for reportedly minor injuries and were released.
An investigation of the accident was continuing this morning.
Another accident minutes after the fatal crash, this one occurring in the Kealia area and also on Kuhio Highway, was followed by a third minor accident a short time later near Opaekaa Falls on Kuamoo Road, stretching the available police force. Because all available officers had already been dispatched to the two earlier accidents, an off-duty officer responded to the Kuamoo Road mishap, county spokeswoman Beth Tokioka said.
The second and third accidents did not include fatalities. Further details were unavailable.
As a result of the fatal accident, Kuhio Highway was temporarily closed, causing a traffic jam that lasted into the afternoon. Two lanes were reopened to traffic by 1 p.m.
Information was not available from investigators on whether wind and rain Sunday morning contributed to the flurry of accidents but the roadway was wet at the time of the accident.
Staff writer Dennis Wilken contributed to this report.
