A 33-year-old Na‘alehu woman died in a single-vehicle collision on Mamalahoa Highway in South Kona yesterday morning.

Responding HPD investigators determined that a silver 2011 Mazda CX-9 was traveling south on the highway when it ran off the right shoulder, went down a 20-foot embankment, rolled over, and caught on fire.

Hawai‘i County Fire Department personnel extinguished the blaze at which time a female body was located within the vehicle. The woman, and sole occupant of the vehicle, was transported to Kona Community Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Police believe that speed and impairment are factors in the crash. It was also revealed that the driver, who has not been positively identified pending the notification of next of kin, was not wearing her seatbelt.