Kam 1 wheelchair ramp wrecked by crash
$10,000 replacement project slated
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Volunteers are planning to repair a Kamaole Beach Park 1 wheelchair ramp after a vehicle struck it last month, causing about $10,000 in damage.
Since the collision, the ADA-certified ramp has been unusable, Don Couch, Mayor's Office community liaison, said Wednesday. He anticipated that repair work may begin next month.
Couch said a driver went through a red light, straight into Kamaole Beach I parking lot, hit a curb, went airborne, then "landed smack down on the ADA ramp and went down the bottom of it."
The police report said a 69-year-old Kihei woman collided into the Kam 1 boardwalk and damaged the wooden fence and rail around 10:40 p.m. Feb. 3. She sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at Maui Memorial Medical Center. At the time, police estimated damage to be more than $3,000.
The ramp must be torn down and replaced, with an estimated repair cost of $10,000, Couch said.
South Maui Volunteers, a community group led by Bob and Lis Richardson that restores beaches and dunes in the area, will lead the repairs. The group is purchasing materials and volunteering labor.
"As it stands, South Maui Volunteers will be replacing the ramp, hopefully beginning April 1 pending permits," Lis Richardson said via email.
Couch said money will likely come from county grant funds, donations and the driver's insurance reimbursement.
The volunteer group must obtain a permit to get the ramp demolished and replaced.
Parks officials are completing assessments of permitting and funding needed to do so, county spokesman Brian Perry said last month.
South Maui Volunteers have built six dune walkovers, half of which are ADA-certified ramps, at each of the three Kamaole Beach parks. Three non-ADA ramps help the public access the beach while avoiding delicate dunes, according to the group website.
For information on South Maui Volunteers, visit www.southmauivolunteers.com.
* Kehaulani Cerizo can be reached at kcerizo@mauinews.com.