A 47-year-old man died early today at Hilo Medical Center following a motorcycle crash last night, which brought the Big Island's traffic fatality count for 2008 to eight, matching the number of deaths on the same date last year.

Police identified the victim as Clayton K. Fukuhara of Hilo. Fukuhara died at 2 a.m. today.

Hawai'i County Traffic Enforcement Unit supervising investigator Sgt. Christopher D. Gali said South Hilo patrol officers responded to the crash of a 2005 Harley-Davidson at the intersection of Railroad Avenue and Lama Street at 11:29 p.m.

Fukuhara was operating the motorcycle east on Lama Street when he ran a stop sign and crashed in the driveway of a residence across the intersection, police said.

The operator was not wearing a helmet, and it is unknown if speed and alcohol were factors in the crash, Gali said.

Today's death was the state's 23rd traffic fatality over the first 62 days of 2008 as compared to 28 at the same time last year, according to tracking data compiled by The Advertiser.

The 2008 traffic fatality breakdown as of 4 p.m. today: