Hawaii 24/7 Staff

A Kailua-Kona died Thursday afternoon after a collision with a pick up truck along Akoni Pule Highway, according to the Fire Department.

Crews were called to the scene at mile marker 19 – between Old Coast Guard Road and Kokoiki Road – shortly before 1:30 p.m. and found the cyclist lying on the roadside with no signs of life.

A 2003 Nissan pick-up truck also was along the roadside and had substantial damage to the front end.

The 15-year-old girl driving the truck and a 46-year-old woman passenger were transported to Kohala Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The cyclist and truck appeared to be heading east when the collision occurred.

The cause of the collision is under investigation.

POLICE MEDIA RELEASE(7/13/2012)

A 52-year-old Kailua-Kona man died Thursday (July 12) from injuries he sustained in a motor vehicle/bicycle crash on Akoni Pule Highway at the 19-mile marker in the North Kohala District.

The bicyclist was identified as Jessie Taylor of a Kailua-Kona address.

Responding to a 1:18 p.m. call, North Kohala patrol officers determined that a 16-year-old girl from Hawi was operating a 2003 Nissan Frontier pickup truck and traveling east on Akoni Pule Highway when she apparently fell asleep, drifted off the right side of the highway and struck the bicyclist, who was on the shoulder of the road and also traveling east.

The driver of the truck and her mother, a 45-year-old Hawi woman, were not injured.

The bicyclist was taken to the Kona Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 9:10 p.m.

It is unknown at this time if speed, alcohol or drugs were involved.

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

Police anyone with information about this crash to call Officer Larry Flowers at 326-4646, extension 229.

This is the 15th traffic fatality on the Big Island this year compared with 12 at this time last year.