highway 130 closed at Keaau

[PunaMauka2]

HPR mentions 2 fatalities from a vehicular accident in Keaau today. Some details later.

[terracore]

Police are stopping out-of-Puna bound traffic and directing them up POHAKU through Orchidland! A road that floods and becomes impassible during a heavy rain. The section of Olaa that is one-lane was causing a huge bottleneck for people trying to get out onto 11. There were hundreds of cars lined up from Olaa all the way snaking down Pohaku. What a mess!

[terracore]

Forgot to add, just before I got to Olaa I was passed by 2 cop cars, a fire truck, and an ambulance... hopefully not going to a scene on the only other road out (8/Ainaloa).

COUNTY FAIL.

[eigoya]

Have they still not cleared the road?

[terracore]

As of a few seconds ago, 130 was reported as reopened by HPD.

[kimo wires]

If the cops are going to divert traffic onto Pohaku knowing that they will end up trying to get out onto Hwy 11 from Olaa you think they might post another cop there to relieve congestion. Or does that make too much sense?

[bananahead]

every message I saw online or heard on radio told people to stay on asphalt.. ie go up to top of Ainaloa (and follow the yellow line) ..to Hawaiian Acres Rd8 then to Hwy11 above 7-11, then to Hilo etc.

2 deaths so far...
said to be 3-4 vehicles, the worst 2 were a Nisson Altima and Toyota Rav 4, both looked silver in the image.. the other one was a black lifted Ford F350 truck with less damage.. the victims family knows too (at least some of them do), they caused a disturbance at the Hilo hospital, and the cops were called there for the disturbance a while back...... Sad

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save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha

[EightFingers]

So why did they have to close the highway for over five hours????

[shockwave rider]

Fatalities require a much higher level of investigation than other wrecks because criminal and/or civil penalties could become an issue. Five hours is actually pretty quick with a double fatality 3 car wreck, it could easily have been 12 or more hours. If your loved one had died you would want a thorough investigation.

[Obie]

Yeah it's considered a crime scene but modern technology should allow for quicker evidence gathering.