(BIVN) – A 13-year-old from Kona was killed in a Tuesday evening vehicle collision in North Kona, after he was thrown from a Rugged Terrain Vehicle (RTV) that was being driven by a 8-year-old.
Police report the incident occurred on Puʻukala Road at around 5:45 p.m. on October 22nd. The RTV was described as an orange Kubota RTV X900, which police say are designed for navigating rough landscapes.
In a Wednesday news release, police identified the 13-year-old passenger as Maxim Beregovoy.
From the Hawaiʻi Police Department news release:
Police investigators determined that the Kubota was traveling on the 72-1000 block of Puʻukala Road when it veered off the roadway, struck a rock embankment, and overturned. Beregovoy was ejected from the vehicle and was later transported to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:00 p.m.
The 8-year-old male driver of the Kubota sustained minor, non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at the scene before being released.
The Area II Traffic Enforcement Unit has initiated a major traffic collision investigation. Anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to contact Officer Adam Roberg at (808) 326-4646, ext. 229, or via email at adam.roberg@hawaiicounty.gov. Anonymous tips can be provided to Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300.
Police say this incident marks the 25th traffic fatality of the year, compared to 15 at this time last year.
