Published on February 24, 2025
Feb. 27 Update: The driver has been identified as Ronald Valdez of ‘Ele‘ele. An autopsy confirmed that the cause of death was due to a medical event and not related to injuries sustained in the collision.
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‘ELE‘ELE – Police responded to a single-vehicle traffic incident in ‘Ele‘ele Friday night.
On Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, at approximately 6:20 p.m., a 2002 Dodge truck was traveling eastbound on Kaumuali‘i Highway when the vehicle struck a guardrail in front of the ‘Ele‘ele Shopping Center. Responding officers and medics found the driver to be unresponsive, and attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. The driver, a 76-year-old man from ‘Ele‘ele, was transported to the Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Speed and impairment do not appear to be factors in the crash. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the exact cause of death.
Kaumuali‘i Highway was closed in both directions for approximately one hour while KPD’s Traffic Safety Section conducted an on-scene investigation.
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