A crash on Highway 137 near Pāhoa left motorcyclist Joe McDonald critically injured on Sept. 5; the 53-year-old died at 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 26 at an Oʻahu hospital, the Hawaiʻi Police Department said. Police said McDonald lost control of a 2004 Honda Shadow near the 14-mile marker, veered off the roadway and was thrown from the motorcycle.
As reported by Hawaiʻi Police Department, officers responded to the crash call at 1:48 p.m. that afternoon and found McDonald with critical injuries. He was not wearing a helmet.
Medical Treatment and Investigation
Emergency personnel took McDonald to Hilo Benioff Medical Center, then medevaced him to Queen's Medical Center on Oʻahu for further treatment, according to Hawaiʻi Police Department. He died on Oʻahu three weeks after the crash.
Investigators suspect speed, alcohol and/or drugs may have been contributing factors in the crash. Officials have ordered an autopsy that will determine the precise cause of death, and the case is being handled as a coroner's inquest, with the East Hawaiʻi Traffic Enforcement Unit continuing to investigate.
Big Island Traffic Deaths Reach 25
McDonald's death brought the number of traffic fatalities on Big Island roads to 25 so far in 2026, compared with 17 during the same period in 2025, according to a Hawaiʻi Police Department update. Those figures cover all traffic fatalities and do not show what is driving the increase.
A Separate Motorcycle Death That Day
The overall traffic-fatality figures do not establish how motorcycle-involved deaths have changed in recent years. KHON2 reported that a separate solo motorcycle crash in Hilo at 1:46 a.m. on Sept. 5 killed its rider at the scene. The crash involved a 2015 Harley-Davidson Road Glide; McDonald's Pāhoa crash occurred later that day and involved a 2004 Honda Shadow.
Anyone who witnessed the Highway 137 collision is asked to contact Officer Laurence Davis at (808) 961-2339. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300.
