A traffic accident near Princeville yesterday closed Kuhio Highway for several hours and left two North Shore residents hospitalized.

At about 1:30 p.m., Hanalei resident Ray Chuan, 82, and his wife, Eugenia, 85, were driving in a sedan northbound between the Hanalei Transfer Station and Pohaku Stables when he crossed the centerline and collided with a southbound Kauai Freight tractor-trailer, county spokeswoman Mary Daubert said in a release last night.

The tractor-trailer jackknifed, spilling a forklift it was hauling onto the road, said eyewitness Keoni Ke Bigno.

Chuan’s car crossed back into the northbound lane before coming to rest against an embankment. He and his wife were transported to Wilcox Memorial Hospital, where, at press time, they were listed in fair condition.

The driver of the tractor-trailer, Joel Kaluahine, 49, was not hurt.

An undisclosed amount of diesel fuel spilled from the jackknifed rig, requiring cleanup crews to close Kuhio Highway for almost three hours. Both lanes of traffic were open again by 4:15 p.m.

(Source: Kauai Garden Island News)