Head-on Motorcycle Accident on Haleakalā Highway Claims Life of Pukalani Man

A Maui man suffered fatal injuries in a head-on collision on the Haleakalā Highway on Christmas Eve.

The man has since been identified as Greg Hanks, 63, of Pukalani.

Police say Hanks was operating a 2006 Harley Davidson motorcycle and was traveling in the wrong direction on a divided portion of the highway. At the location of this crash, the highway was a divided by a concrete median.

The accident occurred about 1030 feet northwest of the Hāliʻimaile Road intersection at around 11:16 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020.

Police say the motorcycle was traveling in the Kula direction (southeast) within the Kahului bound lanes of travel. At the same time, a 2020 Toyota Camry, operated by a 30 year old Wailuku woman, was traveling in the Kahului direction (northwest) on Haleakalā Highway.

The motorcycle operator, within the wrong lane of travel, collided head on into the Toyota, and died at the scene. Police say he was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.

The airbags in the Toyota did not deploy, but the operator of the vehicle was wearing her seatbelt and did not sustain any injuries.

Police believe alcohol was a factor related to the operator of the motorcycle in the crash, however blood tests are still pending and final determination has yet to be made.

The involvement of speed, and drugs has not been determined as the investigation is still pending.

There have been nine traffic fatalities on Maui County roads this year, compared to 23 at the same time last year.

The accident came several hours after a life-threatening moped crash on the Honoapiʻilani Highway in Māʻalaea on Maui, in which a California woman suffered injuries after colliding with debris in the bike lane.