HAWAII COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT
TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT UNIT
SERGEANT LEROY VICTORINO
PHONE: 961-2332
DECEMBER 23, 2003
H-74547/SK

MEDIA RELEASE

A Honaunau man died Tuesday (December 23, 2003) of injuries he suffered when his tractor-trailer went over an embankment off Kawaihae Road (Route 19) in South Kohala.

The victim was identified as Roger Gaspar, 39.

Responding to an 8:42 a.m. call, police determined that Gaspar was driving west when his 1984 Freightliner tractor-trailer went out of control, ran off the road and plunged down a 30-foot embankment about 0.1 miles east of the 64-mile marker.

The victim was taken to the Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:58 p.m.

Gaspar’s death was the 34th traffic fatality on the Big Island so far this year, compared to 27 at the same time last year.

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