The Medical Examiner’s Office said a 76-year-old man who was killed in a Pali Highway crash Wednesday died from blunt force injuries to the chest.

However, other possibly contributing factors such as medical conditions to Taka­shi Kiyo­zuka’s death have been deferred by the Medical Examiner’s Office.

The car was headed into town when it ran up an embankment, went airborne, flipped and crashed into a rock wall.

Kiyozuka and his wife, Yoko, who was critically injured in the accident, own Grace’s Inn, a plate-lunch restaurant.

A preliminary investigation by police points to "driver error" and that excessive speed of an estimated 80 to 100 mph was a factor, which would seem to rule out a flaw that prompted a recent recall of Kiyo­zuka’s vehicle, a 2006 Acura MDX.

The Honda recall March 14 was for a braking problem that affects the 2005 Pilot, 2005 and 2006 Acura MDX and 2005 Acura RL sedans. Problems with the traction control system could cause intermittent minor brake application, or the vehicle could come to an abrupt stop when the driver applies the brakes.