Hawaii Island has now seen 26 traffic deaths this year, well ahead of last year's pace — a bad sign for road safety on the island.

• A 42-year-old Mountain View man, Kainalu Rabusitz, died when his truck hit a tree and flipped off North Kulani Road on Friday night.
• He was alone in the truck.
• An autopsy has been ordered to pin down the exact cause of death.
• The crash is Hawaii Island's 26th traffic death this year, up from 17 at this point in 2025.

Outlook: Police are still investigating, and the sharp rise in deadly crashes is likely to draw more pressure for road safety enforcement.