A 13-year-old Hawaii island boy died after crashing the car he was driving in Pahala Thursday evening, police said.

The teen, identified as Kainui Kaupu-Manini of Pahala, was driving a 2006 Honda Civic east on Cane Haul Road at about 5:55 p.m. when the vehicle “left the roadway, went down an embankment, and struck a large tree,” according to the Hawaii Police Department.

The teen was taken to Ka‘u Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:33 p.m., police said.

A 15-year-old passenger in the vehicle was uninjured. Neither boy was wearing a seat belt, according to police.

The police department’s Traffic Enforcement Unit has initiated a coroner’s inquest investigation. Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to contact Officer Ansel Robinson at (808) 326-4646, ext. 229, or at

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