UPDATE March 24, 2009 5:43 p.m.

POLICE MEDIA RELEASE

An autopsy conducted Monday, March 23 on 67-year-old Terry Lee Bergman of Juneau, Alaska, was inconclusive as to the cause of death.

Bergman was involved in a two-vehicle crash Friday, March 20 on Akoni Pule Highway.

The pathologist reported injuries from the crash were not the cause of Bergman’s death. The pathologist will make a final determination when toxicology tests are completed.

UPDATE: March 23, 2009 2:05 p.m.

POLICE MEDIA RELEASE

A 67-year-old visitor from Alaska died Friday (March 20) after being involved in a two-vehicle collision on Akoni Pule Highway, .6 miles north of the 13-mile marker in the North Kohala District.

The victim was identified as Terry Lee Bergman of Juneau, Alaska.

Responding to a 2:11 p.m. call, North Kohala patrol and Traffic Enforcement Unit officers determined that the victim was operating a 2008 Mercury four-door sedan and traveling north on Akoni Pule Highway when he ran off the right side of the road, struck a guardrail, crossed the centerline and collided into a 2006 Chevrolet bus traveling south.

The victim’s wife, a 74-year-old woman, was taken to North Hawai’i Community Hospital and was confined in critical condition.

The driver of the bus, a 60-year-old Kailua-Kona man, was listed in serious condition and also confined at North Hawai’i Community Hospital.

Police do not believe that speed or alcohol were involved in this case but suspect that the victim may have suffered from a medical condition prior to the crash.

Everyone was wearing their seatbelts.

The victim was taken to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:08 p.m.

Traffic Enforcement Unit officers have initiated a standard negligent homicide investigation and have ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

Police are going to wait for the results of the autopsy to see if the victim died from a medical condition or from injuries in the crash before counting this death as a traffic fatality.

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Posted: March 20, 2009 4:18 p.m.
Karin Stanton/Hawaii247.com Contributing Editor

One man has been confirmed dead and two others injured in a head-on crash on Akoni Pule Highway.

The collision occurred around 2 p.m. Friday, March 20 near Lapakahi State Historical Park, Major John Dawrs said.

A sedan traveling north along the highway apparently veered into the on-coming lane and collided with a small county-owned passenger bus. Dawrs said the bus is used to transport senior citizens, but had no passengers aboard at the time.

The bus driver suffered minor injuries, while a woman passenger in the sedan was reported in serious condition, Dawrs said.

No other details were immediately available.