Motorcyclist dies in Christmas Eve crash
Moped rider suffers life-threatening injuries in separate incident Thursday
A 2006 Harley Davidson motorcycle is shown after a fatal head-on collision Thursday night on Haleakala Highway near Haliimaile Road in Pukalani. The motorcyclist, who was heading uphill in Kahului-bound lanes of the highway, died at the scene of the crash at 11:16 p.m. — MAUI POLICE DEPARTMENT photo
A 2020 Toyota Camry was also involved in the collision. — MAUI POLICE DEPARTMENT photo
A 2006 Harley Davidson motorcycle is shown after a fatal head-on collision Thursday night on Haleakala Highway near Haliimaile Road in Pukalani. The motorcyclist, who was heading uphill in Kahului-bound lanes of the highway, died at the scene of the crash at 11:16 p.m. — MAUI POLICE DEPARTMENT photo
A 2020 Toyota Camry was also involved in the collision. — MAUI POLICE DEPARTMENT photo
Trending
A motorcyclist going uphill in the wrong lane on Haleakala Highway was killed in a head-on collision, and a moped rider who was ejected after striking debris on Honoapiilani Highway suffered life-threatening injuries, in separate Christmas Eve crashes, police said.
The motorcyclist was identified as Greg Hanks, 63, of Pukalani.
Police said he died at the scene of the collision at 11:16 p.m. on Haleakala Highway, 1,030 feet northwest of Haliimaile Road.
Alcohol use by the motorcyclist is believed to be a factor in the fatal collision, although a final determination hasn't been made and blood tests are pending, police said.
Preliminary investigation showed the 2006 Harley Davidson motorcycle was traveling in the wrong direction on a portion of the highway divided by a concrete median at the crash site, police said.
The motorcycle was traveling in the Kula direction in Kahului-bound lanes when the motorcycle operator collided head on into a 2020 Toyota Camry traveling toward Kahului on the highway, police said.
The motorcyclist wasn't wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, police said.
The 30-year-old Wailuku woman driving the Toyota was wearing her seat belt and wasn't injured, police said.
The fatal collision occurred a few hours after a near-fatal crash at 6:18 p.m. on Honoapiilani Highway, 0.6 mile southwest of Maalaea Bay Place in Maalaea, police said.
Preliminary investigation showed a 2020 Genuine moped was traveling northeast on the highway in a marked bicycle lane when the moped operator didn't notice debris in the lane, police said. The moped struck the debris and the operator was ejected off the moped, police said. The operator, a 29-year-old San Jose, Calif., woman, landed in the roadway and suffered life-threatening injuries, police said.
She was transported to Maui Memorial Medical Center.
The woman wasn't wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, police said.
Police said speed didn't appear to be a factor in the crash.
So far this year, nine people have died in traffic crashes on Maui County roads, compared with 23 at the same time last year.