Utah couple killed in car accident while on vacation in Hawaii
Feb 2, 2022, 3:29 PM | Updated: 7:19 pm
Image of Rebecca van Uitert, provided by BYU Law School. (Credit: BYU Law School)
(Credit: BYU Law School)
A Hawaii road accident killed a Utah couple Sunday as they vacationed on the island.
Hawaii News Now reported that a 44-year-old male and 45-year-old female were traveling in a Jeep on Highway 11 in Mountain View when an SUV on the same highway crossed into oncoming traffic and collided with the Jeep head-on.
Crews transported the couple to Hilo Medical Center, where Hawaii News Now reported doctors pronounced them dead. The driver of the SUV that hit the Jeep also died in the accident.
“Police investigating the incident believe that inattention and speed are contributing factors in this traffic collision. Police are still awaiting additional testing results to determine other potential causes of the collision,” said Sgt. Jeremy Riddle with the Traffic Enforcement Unit of the Hawai‘i Police Department.
The report from Hawaii News Now cited “speed and inattention” as potential factors in the crash.
BYU Law identifies couple killed in Hawaii as Utah lawyer and doctor
In a social media post on Wednesday, Brigham Young University law school identified attorney Rebecca van Uitert and her husband Jason Howell, a Heber doctor, as the couple who died in the accident.
They said that the couple’s four children were at home in Utah when the accident happened.
“Many of us know and love Rebecca and Jason and their children,” read the message from BYU Law School, “and we will be keenly interested in showing support for the family during this tragic time.”
A Facebook post on a page run by the nonprofit organization The Exponent II confirmed the death of the Utah couple in the Hawaii accident.
This story will be updated.
