StarBulletin.com

2 drivers killed in collision on Kauai


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POSTED: Sunday, June 21, 2009

Two men died yesterday morning and three others were injured in a crash near the Wailua Golf Course on Kauai involving a big-rig truck, a rental car and a motorcycle.

;  A county spokeswoman said the motorcycle driver was in the Lihue-bound lane of Kuhio Highway when she apparently lost control of her motorcycle and was hit by the big-rig truck driver in the opposite lane, who lost control of the truck and hit the Lihue-bound rental car.

The truck overturned and both the truck and car ended up in a ditch mauka of the highway.

The driver of the truck, identified as Scott Aviguetero, 25, of Kaumakani, and the driver of the car, identified as Wesley Van Valkenburg, 30, of Union, Ill., died at the scene, the spokeswoman said.

Two passengers in the car—a woman and a child—were taken to Wilcox Hospital. The motorcyclist also was taken to Wilcox Hospital. Their injuries were not life-threatening.

The Kauai Visitors Bureau and Life's Bridges of Hawaii, a grief-counseling service, were assisting the survivors, the spokeswoman said.

Authorities closed Kuhio Highway until 6:24 p.m. yesterday evening to clear the wreckage and investigate the 9:45 a.m. crash.

A load of heavy equipment that the truck was carrying scattered across the roadway in the crash. Traffic was re-routed along the Wailua emergency bypass road and a maintenance road at the golf course.

There now have been five traffic deaths on Kauai this year.