Kahaluu, HI : Man killed in 3-vehicle crash on Kamehameha Highway on Friday morning, March 27, 2015

A 57-year-old man is dead after a tanker carrying tar broke free from a tractor trailer and slammed into two cars Friday morning.

Click here to watch Roger Mari's report.

The deadly crash backed up traffic for hours, damaged a utility pole and left a mess on Kamehameha Highway.

It happened just after 10 Friday morning on Kamehameha Highway near Waiahole Homestead Road. A Seal Master truck headed toward Kahuku was towing a trailer with a tanker of black seal-coat material attached to it.

Police say as the truck went through a bend in the road a chain holding the tank onto the trailer snapped, and the tank rolled off and into oncoming traffic.

"It hit one vehicle at that time which had four occupants and then it continued to hit a white truck which killed the male driver inside," says Lt.Carlene Lau, Honolulu Police Department.

A thick black tar-like substance spilled from the tanker onto the highway. Scott Santiago heard a loud sound from deep in Waiahole Valley where he was working on his farm.

"I thought it was an albizia fall because they fall frequently up here, the really, really big ones, just a loud crash,' says Scott Santiago, Windward resident.

He drove down to see what happened after he heard sirens.

"When I jumped out of my truck and asked if everybody was ok, a young lady standing here said the person in the truck was gone," says Scott.

The accident closed the Highway from Kahaluu to Kuaola. Drivers and residents in the area were being told by HPD that it would be a few hours while they investigate.

"I've got groceries, i've got frozen things but at the same time there's somebody that's dead so it's, you just keep it all in perspective," says Mary Jo Godwin, Windward resident.

A family of four visiting from Oregon was in this black SUV which was the first vehicle hit by the tanker.

"The people that were in the suv, the family was very and lucky, very lucky and it's just a sad accident," says Godwin.

The tanker and pick up truck slammed into a utility pole cracking it and causing it to fall onto the pickup truck. The downed power lines made it difficult for first responders to get close to the victim inside.

When they did get to him he was already dead. The crash and the damaged pole closed the highway for hours.

Source :
Car crash in Waikane leaves one man dead