Crash Closes Kaʻūmana Drive Near 7-Mile Marker in Hilo

A serious crash on Kaʻūmana Drive near Hilo's 7-mile marker closed the roadway for nearly five hours Saturday, the second significant collision at that stretch in just over a year.

Hawai'i Police Department issued the advisory at 2:21 p.m. Saturday, March 28, directing motorists to avoid the area and use Daniel K. Inouye Highway as an alternate route. The closure held through the afternoon before police reported just before 7 p.m. that the road was clear; the department confirmed at 7:12 p.m. that Kaʻūmana Drive was "open to all traffic" and thanked the public for its cooperation.

The nearly five-hour window fell across prime Saturday afternoon hours, when Kaʻūmana Drive functions as one of the main connectors between lower Hilo and the neighborhoods further up the slope. No information was released about the number of vehicles involved, injuries, or the cause of Saturday's crash.

The incident renewed attention to this corridor's recent collision history. On January 30, 2025, at approximately 4:54 p.m., Hawai'i Police responded to a single-vehicle crash on the same road. An 84-year-old driver, later identified as Ken Rosene, was traveling west when his 2007 Honda Pilot veered right, entered a ditch, and struck a rock embankment, blocking the westbound lane. Multiple witnesses were interviewed at the scene. An 86-year-old Hilo woman, Yvonne Mira, who was injured in that collision, died nine days later on February 3 at Queen's Medical Center on O'ahu. An autopsy was ordered to determine the exact cause of death. Mira's death was recorded as the sixth traffic fatality on Hawai'i Island in 2025, compared with four at the same point the year prior.

Two serious crashes in 14 months on the same stretch raise questions authorities have not yet addressed publicly: whether the 7-mile marker area has characteristics, such as curve geometry, signage gaps, or inadequate lighting, that contribute to collisions, and whether any targeted safety improvements are planned. Hawai'i Police Department had not released the number of vehicles involved in Saturday's crash, injury details, or a broader crash history for the segment by Saturday evening.

Anyone with information about the January 30, 2025 collision may contact Officer Laurence Davis at (808) 961-2339 or Laurence.Davis@hawaiicounty.gov. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300.