An 18-year-old Lahaina man died early Wednesday after the truck he was driving flew off Honoapiʻilani Highway near Kāʻanapali Parkway, careened down an embankment, and slammed into a tree. Police say he was not wearing a seat belt, and they consider speed a factor in the crash that has become Maui County's ninth traffic fatality of the year.
According to Maui Now, the crash happened around 1:33 a.m. Wednesday when a white 2000 Chevrolet Silverado was traveling southbound in the inner lane of Honoapiʻilani Highway at high speed. The operator lost control, and the truck left the roadway, went down an embankment, and struck a tree on the driver's side. The young man was pronounced deceased at the scene, and his identity is being withheld until next of kin have been notified.
Investigators say the case remains open, with police continuing to examine whether drugs or alcohol played a role. No determination on that question has been made public, and speed remains the factor police have specifically flagged so far.
Highway Closure Reroutes West Maui Traffic
Maui County issued a road-closure update after the crash. The update said the northbound lanes of Honoapiʻilani Highway and Kāʻanapali Parkway were open and being used for contraflow, per Maui County. The Honoapiʻilani Highway Improvements project has a Final Environmental Impact Statement.
Hoodline also covered a head-on Honoapiʻilani crash in May that killed a Haiku woman who was not wearing a seat belt; speed and impairment were under investigation.
Maui's Fatality Count Climbs Faster Than Last Year
Wednesday's death pushes Maui County's 2026 traffic fatality count to nine, compared with 12 recorded at the same point in 2025, according to Maui Now's reporting. Maui had nine road deaths in 2025, up from two in 2024, according to Civil Beat. Statewide, 2025 brought 129 traffic deaths, Hawaiʻi's highest annual toll since 2007, with officials attributing more than 90% of those crashes to driver behavior like speeding and distracted driving.
There are signs of improvement this year, even as Maui's own numbers climb. Statewide, preliminary Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation data reported by Big Island Now showed 16 fatal crashes as of March 12, 2026, while 31 traffic fatalities were recorded from Jan. 1 to March 12, 2025. The data also showed speed was a contributing factor in nearly half of statewide fatalities, echoing what police are now examining in Wednesday's Lahaina crash.
State and County Push Safety Programs Amid Rising Deaths
In January, the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation launched a safe-driving challenge offering tips and prizes. Maui County, meanwhile, launched its Vision Zero Hawaiʻi campaign in August 2025 alongside state health officials, setting a formal goal of eliminating all traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries on Maui roads.
The investigation into Wednesday's crash remains active, and no further details on the driver's identity or the ongoing drug and alcohol inquiry have been released.
