Hawaiians were shopping at Longs Drugs at Prince Kūhiō Plaza on Oct. 1 when suddenly, a pickup truck drove through the store.
Per the Hawai‘i Police Department, six shoppers were injured.
Four of them were able to be assisted on scene by the Hawai‘i Fire Department, while two had to be taken to Hilo Benioff Medical Center. They were able to go home shortly after to continue their recovery.
The driver was an 86-year-old man who wasn’t injured or otherwise incapacitated.
He has been charged with second-degree negligent injury, which in Hawai‘i carries up to one year behind bars and $2,000 in fines.
Ongoing Investigation
🚨 MEDIA RELEASE – Big Island
Police Investigate Vehicle Collision Into Drug Store in Hilo; Six Injured
📍 Location: Hawaiʻi County
📅 Date: October 2, 2026Hawaiʻi Island police are investigating a motor vehicle collision in which a pickup truck crashed through the storefront of Longs Drugs at Prince Kūhiō Plaza in Hilo on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, injuring six people inside the business.
At 3:55 p.m., South Hilo patrol officers responded to Longs Drugs, located at 111 E. Puainako Street, after a 2012 white Toyota Tacoma pickup truck crashed through the store’s glass storefront and struck patrons and store fixtures before coming to a stop inside the business.
The driver, an 86-year-old Hilo man, was evaluated by medics at the scene and was not injured. Six people, ranging in age from 24 to 76, sustained injuries. Four were treated at the scene by Hawaiʻi Fire Department medics and released, while two were transported to Hilo Benioff Medical Center for further medical treatment and were later released in stable condition.
A second-degree negligent injury investigation was initiated and is currently ongoing.
📞 Have info? Crime Stoppers: (808) 961-8300
🚔 HCPD Non-Emergency: (808) 935-3311
🆘 Emergency: 911ℹ️ Source: Hawaiʻi Police Department press release
— Stolen Stuff Hawaii (@StolenStuffHI) October 2, 2026
The investigation is still ongoing. The Hawai‘i Police Department will provide any relevant updates.
Hilo residents and other Hawaiians with information are asked to contact Brian Kohara at (808) 935-3311 or brian.kohara@hawaiipolice.gov.
Other Similar Incidents
Only three days later, on Oct. 4, a car crashed into a building in Chinatown close to 10 p.m.
No patrons were reported to be injured, but the building itself was damaged.
The driver and passenger were taken to the hospital. The driver was issued citations for the crash but was not arrested by police.
Additionally, on Sept. 28, another elderly driver, a 77-year-old woman, drove into Honolulu’s Waialae-Kahala U.S. Post Office.
She was not injured from the accident or arrested.
Crashes in Hawaii in 2026
While that may seem like a lot of crashes in a short span of time, so far in 2026, the roads have looked safer in Hawai‘i.
In Honolulu, during the “100 deadliest days” between Memorial Day and Labor day, the Honolulu Police Department reported 27 fatal crashes instead of 62.
In 2025, Hawai‘i region-wide saw the most car crashes it had seen in 18 years.
But during the same span of months this year, Hawai‘i saw 15 fewer accidents compared to 2025.
“We’ve seen traffic fatalities cut in half as compared to last year and we need to double down on our combined efforts to keep all highway users safe,” Hawai‘i Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen said in a press release.
One effort the department put in place is the Safe Roads Challenge application.
The app tracks users’ driving and grades drivers on their acceleration, swerving, steadiness and other metrics.
This way, Hawaiians can learn where they can improve on their driving and win prizes as they do it.
If a driver completes the monthly challenge or improves their metric in an aspect of driving, they can win gift cards from over 500 brands.
More information is available on the Safe Roads Challenge website.