PHOTOS: Motorists Escape Injury in Hāna Highway Landslide

Landslide near Keʻanae along the Hāna Highway. (06.01.15) Photo credit: Kaliko Sanchez.

Landslide near Keʻanae along the Hāna Highway. (06.01.15) Photo credit: Kaliko Sanchez.

By Wendy Osher

A family of four escaped injury after becoming stuck in a landslide along the Hāna Highway in Keʻanae on Monday night, June 1, 2015.

Debris from the landslide struck a single vehicle, but all occupants within were uninjured, according to Maui Police Lieutenant William Juan.  He described the occupants of the vehicle as visitors and said there were two adults and two children within.

Witnesses to the incident tell Maui Now that the noise from debris coming down the mountain was extremely “loud” and expressed gratitude that all involved were okay.

The incident was reported near Mile 20 of the Hāna Highway at 5:00 p.m., and all roads were reopened by 8:23 p.m.

Maui Fire Services Officer Edward Taomoto said the lone vehicle impacted in the incident was on the Kahului side of the landslide.  According to FSO Taomoto, Maui Police responded to the Kahului side of the slide, and Hāna firefighters responded to the East end of the slide and worked to keep approaching motorists away from the area.

He said there was only one landslide and not two as reported by other media outlets.  Fire officials say the landslide blocked about 80 feet of both lanes on the highway, and that state Highway Department crews were already on scene working to clear the road when firefighters arrived from Hāna.

The incident comes one year after a similar incident in May of 2014, in which a large landslide dumped 2,000 cubic yards of debris on a stretch of road near Mile 14.5 of the highway in the area of Nuaʻailua/Honomanū.  No one was injured in that incident.

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Previous Posts:

UPDATE : 8:23, 6/1/15, all roads are now open.

UPDATE : 6:40 p.m. 6/1/15, Hana Hwy is closed in the area of MP-20 due to a, landslide. Crews are on scene to clear the debris.

Traffic ADVISORY: 5:30 p.m. 6/1/15, Emergency crews are responding to reports of a landslide on the Hana Hwy in the Keanae area. We’ll post additional details as they become available.