A man died in a late-night ATV crash on Mud Lane near Honokaa, Hawaiʻi Island. He was thrown from his vehicle and found pinned beneath it; he was the only rider, and the ATV was towing a small trailer.
Investigation and Tips
The solo-vehicle crash was reported at 11:35 p.m. last Saturday on Mud Lane, about a half mile west of Honokaa–Waipio Road, according to Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The outlet reported that the ATV was a Honda four-wheel machine towing a trailer. The rider was ejected, then discovered pinned under the vehicle and later pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy has been ordered to confirm the exact cause of death. Police told the paper that they do not currently believe speed, alcohol or drugs were contributing factors in the crash. The case remains under investigation by the East Hawaiʻi Traffic Enforcement Unit.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Officer Laurence Davis at 808-961-2339 or [email protected]. Anonymous tips can be left with Crime Stoppers at 808-961-8300.
Island Traffic Context
According to the Hawaiʻi Police Department, 2025 was the deadliest year on state roads since 2007. Officials say impairment, speeding and failing to use safety equipment remain among the top factors in fatal crashes across the islands.
In response, the department has teamed up with the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation on a Safe Roads campaign aimed at cutting down collisions and changing risky driving behavior. Local reporting has counted this crash as one of several traffic fatalities on the Big Island so far this year, as investigators continue to sort out the details of each case.
What Investigators Are Looking At
Police again told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that speed, alcohol and drugs are not currently suspected in the Mud Lane crash, although a coroner's autopsy is still pending. The East Hawaiʻi Traffic Enforcement Unit has opened a coroner's inquest and plans to review the ATV's condition, any possible mechanical problems and the specific road and weather conditions at the scene.
Investigators are asking anyone who may have seen the ATV before or during the crash, or who has video from the area, to contact police at the numbers listed above.
