Wailuku Man Fatally Injured in N Kīhei Motorcycle Crash

Maui Now graphic.

By Wendy Osher

Maui police say a preliminary investigation shows speed was a factor in a fatal motorcycle accident reported overnight on North Kīhei Road.

Police say 24-year-old Burton Salas of Wailuku sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene.

According to police reports, Salas was operating a 2005 Suzuki GSX-R750K motorcycle  and traveling north on North Kīhei Road when he failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway, crossed left of center, and collided into a guardrail located on the west shoulder.

The incident was reported at around 9:57 p.m. on Wednesday, April 9, on North Kīhei Road near the Keālia National Wildlife Refuge in South Maui, about 1.9 miles South of Honoapiʻilani Highway intersection.

Police say Salas was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.

The involvement of drugs and alcohol has not been determined as the investigation is still pending, according to police reports.

The incident was the sixth traffic fatality on Maui County roads this year compared to four at the same time last year.

The incident forced the temporary closure of the road between the Kīhei Junction at the Honoapiʻilani intersection to Sugar Beach Resort in South Maui while police conducted an investigation.  The closure was in effect from around 10:15 p.m. on Wednesday, April 9, to 1 a.m. on Thursday, April 10, 2014.

All roads are now open.