Pedestrian Dies After Being Struck by Vehicle on Hāna Highway
By Maui Now Staff
A 46-year-old pedestrian died after being struck by a vehicle along the Hāna Highway near Hoʻokele Street in Kahului on Wednesday afternoon, police said.
The incident was reported at around 4:10 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6, 2015 along the Hāna Highway, about a half mile east of the Hoʻokele Street intersection.
Police say the collision occurred when a black 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe multi-purpose vehicle that was traveling east on the highway within the right outer lane, veered to the right onto the east bound shoulder of the road.
According to department reports, the driver of the vehicle veered right in order to avoid colliding into a vehicle in front of it that had slowed in traffic.
Once on the shoulder, the vehicle then struck a pedestrian who was walking east bound toward Pāʻia.
As a result of the collision, the pedestrian was transported to the Maui Memorial Medical Center in critical condition, but later died. The identity of the individual is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Police say the 21-year-old Wailuku resident who was driving the multi-purpose vehicle did not suffer any injuries and was wearing a seat belt at the time of the incident. The vehicle, police say, incurred only minor damages.
Maui Police Sergeant Gregg Rowe with the department’s Traffic Division filed a report noting that the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
The incident was the third traffic fatality on Maui County roads in 2015 compared to 10 at the same time last year.