Motorcyclist dies in collision with SUV carrying Japanese soldiers in Hawaii

An SUV carrying Japanese soldiers for the Rim of the Pacific exercise in Hawaii was involved in a fatal collision with a motorcycle on Kauai last week, Japanese and U.S. authorities said. (Lance Cpl. Andrew Cortez/US Marine Corps)

According to Japanese and US authorities, an SUV carrying Japanese soldiers as part of the Rim of the Pacific exercise in Hawaii was involved in a fatal collision with a motorcycle on Kauai last week.

The motorcyclist, a 44-year-old Kauai man, was killed Thursday when he collided with a rented SUV carrying three members of the Japanese Self-Defense Force, Kauai police and the Self-Defense Force said. One passenger in the SUV was injured and was treated at the scene, according to a police news release Friday.

“Speed ​​appears to be a suspected factor in the accident, but the investigation is ongoing,” police said.

The westbound 2021 Dodge SUV was turning left onto Kaumuali’i Highway in Kekaha when it collided with the eastbound motorcycle, police said. The crash occurred outside the Pacific Missile Test Range in Barking Sands, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Rob Reinheimer told Stars and Stripes by phone Monday.

The three are participating in RIMPAC with the 7th.^th According to a press release from the Self-Defense Force on Friday, it is a Surface-to-Ship Guided Missile Regiment based at Camp Katsuren, Okinawa.

“We are deeply saddened by this tragic event and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who died,” Reinheimer said by email. “We are working with local authorities throughout the investigation.”

Reinheimer declined further comment, citing privacy concerns and the ongoing Kauai Police Department investigation.

Kauai police could not be reached by phone or email for comment Monday morning.

According to the press release, the highway was closed for about two and a half hours while police investigated the scene of the accident. It is the fifth fatal accident on Kauai this year, it says.

RIMPAC, a biennial exercise in Hawaii touted by the U.S. Navy as the “largest in the Pacific,” runs through Aug. 8 this year and involves 29 countries, including Japan. The exercise focuses on developing relations between the countries and improving their ability to work together in the event of a disaster or war.