HAWAII COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT
TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT UNIT
ACTING SERGEANT CHRISTOPHER GALI
PHONE: 961-2332
JUNE 30, 2000
G-33545
MEDIA RELEASE
A 37-year-old Hilo man died Thursday (June 29, 2000) of injuries he received after his motorcycle rear-ended a car traveling north on Volcano Highway (Route 11) about five miles south of Mamaki Street.
The victim was identified as Guy M. Quitoriano, of a Hilo address.
Responding to a 8:51 p.m. call, police determined that Quitoriano was riding his 1999 Honda motorcycle at high speed toward Hilo with another motorcyclist when his motorcycle struck the rear end of a 1986 Suzuki four-door hatchback driven by Steven Blase, 41, of Hilo.
Quitoriano was taken to the Hilo Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 9:47 p.m.
The second motorcycle left the scene of the accident.
Blase was arrested for drunk driving, failure to have any no-fault insurance, driving with an expired weight tax and expired safety sticker, fraudulent use of license plates and having a false certificate. He was released pending further investigation.
Investigators determined that speed was a factor in the accident.
Anyone with information about the identity of the second motorcyclist is asked to call acting Sergeant Christopher Gali of the Traffic Enforcement Unit at 961-2332.
Thursday’s death was the 20th fatality so far this year on the Big Island, compared with 10 at the same time last year.
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