MEDIA RELEASE

A 49-year-old man died Thursday (September 17) after being involved in a one-vehicle traffic collision on Waikoloa Road east of the two-mile marker in Waikoloa.

He has been identified as Robert J. Cooley of Hilo.

Responding to a 2:40 p.m. call, South Kohala patrol officers determined that Cooley had been traveling east on Waikoloa Road and operating a 2004 Nissan Altima four-door sedan when he ran off the right side of the road and rolled onto a small rock embankment, where the car came to a final rest.

Police believe that the Cooley may have suffered a medical condition prior to the crash.

Fire/rescue personnel took him to North Hawaiʻi Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 3:45 p.m.

Traffic Enforcement Unit officers have initiated a coroner’s inquest case and have ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. Police are going to wait for the autopsy results before counting this death toward the official traffic fatality count.

Police ask anyone with information about this crash to call Officer Christopher Kapua-Allison at 326-4646, extension 229.