Saddle Road Accident

[SBH]

Avoid Saddle Road right now, traffic stopped in both directions, major accident.

[SBH]

Traffic moving in one lane, one direction at time. Large Hilo bound semi-truck in ditch on other side of Kona bound lane, hit an SUV head on. Horrible accident near mile marker 17.5.

I don’t see how anyone could’ve survived in the SUV. My thoughts and prayers for those involved.

Saddle Road is going to jammed up for a while.

[macuu222]

There's been no news reports of this accident.

[SBH]

I can’t find anything in the news either, yet. I have video, the SUV was a black Chevy Tahoe, the worst wreckage I have ever seen. There were hundreds of people stuck in traffic and I imagine the investigation took a long time. The police had very grim faces.

[alaskyn66]

Pretty bad, when you have to go to Facebook to find out what's happening on the hwys.

If only the police had a way to announce road hazzards/closures. /s

I suspect the person who does the nixle alerts was off yesterday.

[macuu222]

Received this from Big Island News director:

"Debra Lordan (dlordan@pmghawaii.com)
To:you Details
We eventually get a press release from the fire department and or police department, but they have issued nothing but road closure and opening notices so far. It is not productive to try to get info from them until they compile their final report—especially is a fatality is involved. I think that will come out sometime today. Sounds like a horrible accident... there are too many on the Big Island. Thanks for the heads-up. Deb"

[taropatch]

Still no report on the accident.

A Hamakua accident (6/27 after midnight) which happened after this "no reported accident" is on the County Media website. Outside Waimea near Boy Scout Camp resulting in one dead, several injured.

[SBH]

Here’s that quick clip of that accident on Saddle Road Wednesday. Still no news about it in the media.

https://youtu.be/zlOSQof9OCc

[terracore]

That is really strange, I saw a disturbingly similar accident on Saddle the day before.

[reni]

yes, very strange that nothing has been reported to us about this accident.
I remember one time on this route when I was passed by quite a few black Chevrolet suvs.
They "felt" like government issue to me. I of course had no way of knowing for sure but maybe it is an accident that the Gov. does not want publicity on ???

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2017/07/why...ing-range/