Woman killed in head-on crash on Highway 11 near Volcano

A woman was killed when her Honda CR-V crossed the center line on Highway 11 near Volcano and collided head-on with a Dodge Ram shortly before 2:30 p.m. Monday near the 22-mile marker. Hawaii Island police said the crash left the woman unresponsive at the scene; she was pronounced dead a short time later.

Police have not released the woman’s age or identity while family members are notified. The 60-year-old man driving the Dodge Ram was not injured, police said. Investigators are examining whether speed, alcohol or drug use played a role in the collision.

The fatal crash adds to a dangerous record on this stretch of Highway 11 in Volcano, where another two-vehicle crash in November 2024 killed two people. For Big Island drivers who use the route between Volcano and the rest of Hawaii Island, the pattern is hard to ignore: head-on collisions remain one of the most severe outcomes on a highway where a single center-line crossing can turn deadly in seconds.

Puna patrol officers are handling the investigation, and the road’s design and visibility conditions will likely remain part of the scrutiny as police sort out why the Honda CR-V drifted across the center line. The crash also marked Hawaii Island’s 19th traffic death of 2026, underscoring how quickly the island’s fatal crash count has climbed this year.

Highway 11 is a key corridor through the Volcano area, linking rural neighborhoods, visitors, and commuters traveling across the island. When serious crashes happen there, the consequences ripple beyond the scene itself, from emergency response demands to renewed pressure on officials to look at enforcement and roadway safety on one of the Big Island’s most closely watched stretches.