WAIKOLOA (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii Island police are investigating a car crash in Waikoloa on Saturday that left two elderly women dead, said Hawaii Island police officials.

Police officials say the incident happened around 11:40 a.m. when a KIA SUV was heading east (mauka) on Waikoloa Road, near the 3-mile-marker, when the car crossed over the center line and struck a Chevrolet SUV head-on traveling west.

Officials say The driver of the Kia, 72-year-old Lynn Capell of Waimea, was transported to the North Hawaii Community Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 3:17 p.m.

Police say a 75-year-old man from Washington who was operating the Chevrolet and the front seat passenger, a 77-year-old man from Alabama, were also transported to the North Hawaii Community Hospital for further treatment.

Authorities say the right rear passenger of the Chevrolet, 79-year-old Eugenia Taylor, from Alabama, was unresponsive at the scene and transported to the Kona Community Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 5:30 p.m.

Officials say a third vehicle veered off the road onto lava rock to avoid the crash. The Chevrolet Equinox’s driver and three passengers were uninjured, but the car was rendered inoperable.

Currently, police believe that speed and inattention are factors in the crash.

Officials say autopsies have been ordered to determine the exact causes of death.

The deaths of these two women are the 13th & 14th traffic fatalities in the 13 weeks of 2024, compared to 5 at this time last year.

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