Maui Man Succumbs to Injuries from Aug. 13 Traffic Collision in Wailuku

A 20-year-old Kula man has succumbed to injuries sustained as a result of a collision reported on Kanaloa Avenue in Wailuku last week.

The victim, who was a pedestrian, was working in the middle of a lane, when he was struck by an oncoming vehicle and sustained critical life-threatening injuries. The collision occurred as a white 2004 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck, traveling south on North Wākea Avenue, negotiated a left turn onto Kanaloa Avenue and struck a male pedestrian working in the middle of the right lane.

The incident was reported at 7:13 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 13, 2021 between North Wākea Avenue and Kahului Beach Road.  Police say the man was transported to the Maui Memorial Medical Center, but died a week later, on Friday evening Aug. 20, while in the Intensive Care Unit.

Police have since identified the victim as Hunter Otani of Kula, Maui.

The operator of the Toyota truck did not report any injuries.

While speed is not considered a factor, the cause of the accident remains under investigation.

This was Maui County’s 11th traffic fatality in 2021, compared to six at the same time last year.