Multiple crashes leave 3 dead, others injured on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island

HONOLULU (KHON2) -- First responders were kept busy as multiple fatal and critical vehicle crashes occurred on Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island over two days. On May 16, a moped rider was seriously injured along Coyne Street and University Avenue after hitting a car around 2:40 p.m. Emergency Medical Services administered advanced life-saving treatment to the 34-year-old man. He suffered a serious head and leg injury and was transported to an emergency room for further treatment. EMS said the man was not wearing a helmet. Earlier that day, a critical collision involving a pedestrian occurred near Kalihi around 3:50 a.m., Honolulu Police Department reported. According to police, a motorcyclist was speeding on Nimitz Highway and hit a 71-year-old pedestrian who was walking in a marked crosswalk. The woman was transported in serious condition to a nearby hospital by EMS. The motorcyclist did not stop to render aid or provide information, HPD said. The investigation is ongoing. If anyone has information, contact HPD's Traffic Division at 808-723-3413. Three traffic fatalities occurred in 12 hours on May 15, the Hawaiʻi Island Police Department said. Two people were killed Friday afternoon in a head-on collision near the 13-mile marker — the second double fatal crash on that highway in just the last two weeks. Police said a 2018 Toyota Tacoma lost control on a wet curve, crossed the centerline and slammed head-on into a pickup truck towing heavy equipment. Twenty-nine-year-old Troy Rasse of Pāhoa and 24-year-old Jadelyn Cariaga of Hilo were killed. According to social media posts, the couple was engaged. Police said neither passenger was wearing a seatbelt. Just 10 days earlier, another head-on collision on the same highway killed two men after police said a driver attempted to overtake another vehicle and crashed into oncoming traffic. The third traffic fatality was a pedestrian hit-and-run that occurred in Keaʻau the night of May 15, Hawaiʻi Police Department reported. Police received a report at 10:50 p.m. of the incident and determined the man was hit multiple times by cars on Highway 130 near the intersection of Orchidland Drive. He was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at 11:03 p.m., officials said. Since 2024, there have been seven fatal crashes and 10 deaths along Daniel K. Inouye Highway. Five of those crashes involved drivers overtaking other vehicles. Island-wide, Hawaiʻi County has seen seven traffic fatalities in just the last 10 days as law enforcement agencies prepare for what’s known nationally as the “100 Deadliest Days of Summer” between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Hawaiʻi Island Police Chief Reed Mahuna said the highway itself presents several dangers for drivers. “It’s a new road, it has wide shoulders, it is a smooth road that has a lot of straight aways, downhill areas where people can exceed the speed limit,” Mahuna said. “There’s fog, there’s rain, there’s runoff, and so there’s a lot of different things that can impact safety going over DKI Highway.” The Department of Transportation said speeding and unsafe passing remain major concerns along the route. “We have to slow everyone down — that’s the problem,” said DOT Director Ed Sniffen. Sniffen said crews recently installed delineators and warning chevrons along curves near mile markers 16 through 18. The state is also adding rumble strips and considering removing additional passing zones to reduce the risk of head-on collisions. “We’ve eliminated some of the passing lanes in those areas to make sure we minimize the potential for people to get into those head-on collisions,” Sniffen said. Police said they are also increasing targeted enforcement in high-crash corridors and focusing on visible patrols to deter speeding and reckless driving. As graduation season approaches, Mahuna is urging drivers to slow down and think about the consequences of dangerous decisions behind the wheel. “I’m the police chief, but I’m also a dad,” Mahuna said. “There is really no amount of time saving that is worth it.” Transportation officials said a long-term solution could include center median barriers along portions of Daniel K. Inouye Highway, though widening the roadway and constructing dividers could take years.