‘BIG’ Bad News! Kona Crash Highlights Hawaii Island’s 17th Traffic Death Of The Year

HONOLULU (NewsNow Hawaii) – The 17th traffic-related fatality on the island this year has been identified as the victim of a deadly crash that occurred in North Kona on Tuesday.

The 78-year-old man from Papaikou was identified as Jeffrey Lawrence Gross by Hawaii County police.

Around 12:20 p.m., they said. He was riding down Mamalahoa Highway on Tuesday in a 2014 Kia Sorento that was traveling south.

The car, according to investigators, veered over the shoulder of the road, descended an embankment, and came to a stop upside-down.

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After being admitted to a hospital for treatment, Lawrence Gross passed away in the afternoon. The 48-year-old driver was also brought to the hospital, where she stayed on Tuesday.

It was unclear at first what other variables contributed to the catastrophe.

Hawaii Island is already at a higher point than it was the previous year when there were eight traffic-related deaths during the same time frame. This lethal occurrence is the island’s 17th of 2024.