Puna woman killed in crash on Hwy 11 in Hilo
A Puna woman died Friday morning in a two-vehicle collision on the Panaewa stretch of Highway 11 near the intersection with Mamaki Street in Hilo.
Police officers responding to a 7:08 a.m. call determined that a 2017 Honda Accord four-door sedan was traveling east-bound on Mamaki Street and attempted to cross Highway 11 when it failed to yield to a 2012 Toyota Tacoma traveling southbound toward Kea‘au on Highway 11. The Toyota struck the Honda.
The female driver of the Honda, identified as 32-year-old Michaelah Turner of Kurtistown, was found unresponsive at the scene and transported to the Hilo Benioff Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 8:35 a.m., police said.
A 13-year-old male passenger in the Honda, also from Kurtistown, was transported to the Hilo Benioff Medical Center and is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the Toyota, a 17-year-old Hilo female, and her passenger, a 15-year-old Hilo female, were transported by private vehicle to the HBMC, where they are being treated for minor injuries.
Police are continuing the investigation, which has been classified as a coroner’s inquest. At this time, police do not believe alcohol or drugs are factors in the crash.
Police ask that if anyone has information regarding this collision to please contact Officer Joshua Rodby-Tomas at (808) 961-2339 or via email at Joshua.Rodby-Tomas@hawaiicounty.gov. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300.
This is the third traffic fatality this week and the eighth traffic fatality of 2026, compared to 12 traffic fatalities this time last year.
