A 79-year-old Kihei man on an electric bicycle has died after being struck by a pickup truck in South Maui, officials say. The rider was rushed to Maui Memorial Medical Center with life-threatening injuries and later succumbed to those wounds. The crash has renewed concerns about safety for older cyclists and the growing number of e-bike riders on narrow island roads.
In an update, the County of Maui said the bicyclist — identified as Richard Holland, 79, of Kīhei — died around 4 p.m. last Friday at Maui Memorial Medical Center, as reported by Maui County. The department extended condolences to Holland’s family and noted the death brings Maui County’s traffic fatalities for 2025 to 14.
According to Hawaii News Now, the crash happened at about 7:22 a.m. Wednesday at the intersection of Kanani Road and Auhana Road in Kīhei, when a white 2024 Ford F-150 making a left turn collided with an electric-assisted bicycle traveling west. The rider was ejected from the bike and taken to Maui Memorial Medical Center in critical condition.
Maui News reported that the driver, a 40-year-old Kihei man, remained at the scene and that three juvenile passengers in the pickup were not injured. The driver was arrested on a charge of negligent injury in the first degree, processed at the Wailuku Police Station and later released pending investigation.
Legal status and investigation
Authorities say speed is not considered a factor and that the bicyclist was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, as per Hawaii News Now. Investigators are assembling evidence that will be reviewed by prosecutors to determine whether any additional or upgraded charges are warranted; local outlets, including the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, have published county updates.
Traffic safety on Maui
County leaders have said traffic deaths are up this year and have joined the statewide Vision Zero Hawai‘i campaign to push for safer street designs and fewer fatalities. In an August county statement, officials noted traffic deaths in Hawai‘i were up more than 50% compared with this time last year and urged community support for the Vision Zero action plan, as noted by Maui County.
Friends and neighbors mourned Holland as the island community processes another road fatality; authorities said the investigation is ongoing and asked anyone with information to contact the Maui Police Department. Local outlets will continue to update coverage as new details become available.
