Hit-and-run in Kapalua claims life of Lahaina woman; motorist arrested and released pending investigation

A fatal hit-and-run collision in Kapalua on Friday claimed the life of a 39-year-old Lahaina woman.

The incident was reported at 7:18 p.m. on Friday, May 31, 2024 on the Honoapiʻilani Highway, two feet southwest of Office Road in Kapalua.  

Police say a preliminary investigation reveals that the woman was attempting to retrieve a chicken carcass out of the roadway and walk back to the southbound makai shoulder when she was struck by a white 2014 BMW X5 traveling northeast on Honoapiʻilani Highway.  The operator of the BMW did not stop or render aid to the pedestrian and fled the scene northeastbound on Honoapiʻilani Highway, according to police.

Police say that as a result of this collision, the pedestrian sustained critical life-threatening injuries and was transported via medevac to the Maui Memorial Medical Center Emergency Room for treatment, where she later succumbed to her injuries and died.  The victim’s identity is being withheld for 24 hours to allow her family an opportunity to notify their extended family and friends.

At approximately 8:26 p.m., the BMW and its female operator were located at D.T. Fleming Park, at which time damages consistent with striking a pedestrian were observed on the vehicle, according to police. Police say the female operator, identified as Ashley Nienaber, 34, of Lahaina, was arrested for Collisions Involving Death or Serious Bodily Injury. Nienaber was later released pending investigation, police said in a news release.

Investigation reveals that the operator of the BMW self-reported she was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision and the airbags did not deploy in the vehicle.

The involvement of speed, alcohol, or drugs has yet to be determined as the investigation is ongoing.    

This was Maui County’s sixth traffic fatality of 2024, compared to six at the same time last year.