Fiery vehicle crash kills driver on H-3 freeway

A person died Saturday morning in a fiery vehicle crash on H-3 freeway that sent dark clouds of smoke billowing from the Kaneohe-bound tunnel and clogged traffic for hours.

Honolulu Fire Department officials said firefighters responded to a 911 call at 10 :14 a.m. reporting a motor vehicle collision on H3 freeway near the Harano Tunnels. Three HFD units and 10 firefighters responded and found a single vehicle engulfed in flames, official said.

The fire was extinguished at 10 :38 a.m. and the driver, the lone occupant of the vehicle, was found dead, authorities said.

Emergency Medical Services paramedics pronounced the person dead. The person's gender and approximate age were not released.

State Department of Transportation officials said the Kaneohe-bound lanes of H-3 were closed for about five hours as police investigated. All lanes were reopened before 4 p.m.

Honolulu police has not released any details about the crash or victim.

Correction : Kaneohe-bound lanes of H-3 were closed today, not Halawa-bound lanes as was reported in an earlier version of this story.

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