Hawaii County police are investigating a two-vehicle traffic collision that killed a husband and wife from Waimea early this morning on Queen Kaahumanu Highway in North Kona.

Officers responded to a reported collision at 5:41 a.m. and found that a Kona-bound 2021 Kia Forte sedan was attempting to pass multiple vehicles, including a tractor-trailer with a full tank of fuel, when it collided head-on near the 79.5-mile marker with a Kohala-bound 2004 Nissan Frontier pickup truck.

The 51-year-old man driving the Kia, Reginald Kaleilehua Tolentino Jr., and his 55-year-old wife and passenger, Colette Marie Kaleialoha Tolentino, were taken to Kona Community Hospital, where both were pronounced dead at 10:48 a.m., police said

The 55-year-old man driving the pickup sustained life-threatening injuries and was taken to North Hawaii Community Hospital for initial treatment. He later was flown to The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu for further care.

The Hawaii County Police Department’s West Hawaii Traffic Enforcement Unit has opened a major traffic collision investigation and is asking witnesses to contact Officer Adam Roberg at (808) 326-4646, ext. 229, or at adam.roberg@hawaiicounty.gov. Those who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300.

Today’s deaths were the sixth and seventh traffic fatalities on Hawaii island this year, compared with four at the same time last year, police said.