MEDIA RELEASE

Hawaiʻi Island police are investigating a fatal industrial accident involving a 45-year-old man falling through the roof of a warehouse in the Panaʻewa area yesterday, (October 10).

At 1:42 p.m., officers responded to a business on Kealakai Street to a report of a man who fell approximately 40 feet through a fiberglass portion of a roof to a warehouse he was painting, landing on the concrete floor. The victim, 45-year-old Peter Tosie of Hilo, was an employee of a painting company contracted by the business.

The victim was transported by medics to the Hilo Medical Center in critical condition where he succumbed to his injuries at 2:19 p.m.

Detectives assigned to the Criminal Investigation Section are continuing this investigation. An autopsy has been scheduled for Friday, (October 13), to determine the exact cause of his death.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or have any other information about it is asked to call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311 or Detective Todd Pataray of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section at (808) 961-2382 or Todd.Pataray@hawaiicounty.gov.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the iislandwide Crime Stoppers number at (808) 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.00. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers does not record calls or subscribe to any Caller ID service. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.