Kona woman killed by pickup is identified
The driver was arrested for negligent homicide but was released, pending investigation
KAILUA-KONA » A Big Island woman who died when a pickup truck ran off a narrow private road in North Kona and hit her as she mowed her lawn has been identified as Shelley Williams, 52, of Kona.
The 28-year-old Kailua-Kona man driving the 2001 Ford Ranger on Monday evening was arrested for negligent homicide but was released without charges, pending investigation.
Fire department medics who responded said the truck had gone off the road just before dark and hit the victim, who was mowing the grassy shoulder of the road. Police said the site was the woman's property.
Her body was thrown several yards, said medics, who noted she was dead when they arrived.
The truck hit a rock embankment, sheared off a utility pole and mangled the victim's push lawn mower, fire department officials said. The truck landed on its left side and the driver apparently got out through the passenger door, they said.
The site is above the old Mamalahoa Highway, about two miles uphill from Keauhou Bay south of Kailua-Kona. The fire department described it as a "coffee land-type, one lane, level road with grassy shoulders about 5 feet wide."
Police said speeding was believed to be a factor, but it was unknown whether alcohol or drugs were involved.
The death is not counted as a traffic fatality because it occurred along a private road, police said. Since it is not counted, there are officially no pedestrian traffic deaths on the Big Island this year, police said. In 2004, there was one pedestrian fatality, followed by six in 2005 and seven in 2006, they said.