Wailuku Woman Critically Injured in Pickup Crash in West Maui
A 20-year-old Wailuku woman suffered critical, life threatening injuries when she was ejected from a pickup truck she was driving early Thursday morning in the Kahana/Nāpili area of West Maui. A 37-year-old Wailuku man, who was a front seat passenger in the vehicle sustained minor injuries in the crash.
Maui police say the incident occurred at approximately 1:48 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016 on Lower Honoapiʻilani Road, about 270 feet south of Hoʻohui Road.
According to police reports, the crash occurred as a white 2006 Mazda B2300 pickup truck was traveling north on Lower Honoapiʻilani Road, when it failed to negotiate a left bend in the roadway.
Police say the pickup then skidded out of control, crossing left of center, striking the makai side curb/sidewalk where it then overturned and ejected the operator in the process. The pickup also knocked down a fence line and collided into two parked vehicles within a private parking lot, according to Maui police.
The driver was transported to the Maui Memorial Medical Center Emergency Room for further treatment. Police say a preliminary investigation revealed the woman was not wearing her seatbelt at the time of the crash. Police say the front seat passenger was wearing his seatbelt.
Sergeant Kenneth Kihata with the Maui Police Department’s Traffic Section, Vehicle Homicide Unit filed an accident synopsis saying the involvement of speed, drugs, and alcohol are still pending as the investigation is ongoing.