Pedestrian Dies, Struck by Van in Kahului

Traffic fatality. Graphic by Wendy Osher.

By Wendy Osher

***Update 3:44 p.m. 9/22/15: Maui police have since identified the pedestrian in the fatal incident as Paul Daniel Dease, originally from Lake Wales, Florida.

A pedestrian suffered fatal injuries after being struck by a van while attempting to cross the Hāna Highway in an unmarked crosswalk, police said.

The pedestrian was identified as a 44-year-old man with no local address, but his name is being withheld pending positive identification and notification of next of kin.

The incident was reported at 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015 on the Hāna Highway, just east of the Dairy Road intersection.

According to police reports, a blue 2014 Dodge van, traveling east on Hāna Highway, collided into the pedestrian who was crossing southbound on the highway.

Maui police say the 44-year-old Kailua, Hawaiʻi man driving the Chrysler Van, and a 44-year-old Honolulu woman, who was a passenger, were both wearing seat belts and were not injured in the crash.

Maui police Sergeant Kenneth Kihata filed an accident synopsis report saying the pedestrian was initially transported to the Maui Memorial Medical Center in critical, life-threatening condition where he later succumbed to his injuries and died.

Police say the involvement of speed, drugs, and alcohol are still pending as the investigation is ongoing.

This was the 18th traffic fatality on Maui County roads this year compared to 17 at this time last year.

Police implemented a partial road closure in the area until around 11 p.m. while an investigation was conducted into the cause of the crash.