HONOLULU (KHON2) — A motorcyclist from Kula, who was later identified as 63-year-old Wendy Curtis Kaiwi, was killed on Maui after a collision with a pickup truck, according to Maui Police Department.
On Friday, Sept. 30 around 8:32 p.m., an accident happened on Kula Highway at Lower Kula Road that prompted a road closure.
MPD said that a grey 2020 Nissan Frontier pickup truck was driving northbound on Kula Highway when it turned left and crashed head-on into a black 2015 Yamaha motorcycle that was driving southbound on Kula Highway.
Kaiwi was ejected onto the roadway and received life-threatening injuries.
According to police, the driver of the truck did not stop to help and kept driving as he headed west.
Kaiwi was transferred to Maui Memorial Medical Center in critical condition where he was later pronounced dead.
Police said that Kaiwi was wearing a helmet during the collision.
Maui Police found the driver of the truck at a property in Wailuku and arrested the 76-year-old man on suspicion of Negligent Homicide in the First Degree and Collisions Involving Death or Serious Bodily Injury.
The suspect was later released pending investigation.
The 76-year-old suspect was wearing a seatbelt, his airbags deployed and police believe that alcohol is a factor in this incident.
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This is the 16th traffic fatality on Maui this year, compared to 12 at the same time last year.