MAUI, HI — Two people were killed and four others were injured after a utility terrain vehicle crashed late Saturday night near Halawa Valley Park on Molokai. The occupants ranged in age from 16 to 22.
Police said the crash happened around 10:57 p.m. when a 20-year-old Kaunakakai woman driving the UTV moved from a dirt roadway onto the paved part of Kamehameha V Highway and lost control.
Driver overcorrected before the UTV struck a tree stump
Investigators said the vehicle veered toward the south shoulder, then the driver swerved and overcorrected. The UTV lifted, crossed the roadway and hit a large tree stump on the north shoulder.
All six people inside were thrown from the vehicle in the collision. The driver and her front passenger, a 19-year-old Kaunakakai woman, died at the scene.
Four Kaunakakai passengers survived with non-life-threatening injuries
The four other passengers were also from Kaunakakai. They included girls ages 16 and 17, along with men ages 20 and 22.
Authorities said the injured passengers had non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to Molokai General Hospital for treatment.
Investigators say no one was wearing helmets or seat belts
Police said none of the occupants were wearing helmets or seat belts when the crash happened. Investigators are looking at speed and alcohol as contributing factors.
It is still unclear whether drugs played any role. The investigation remains open.
Crash becomes Maui County’s sixth and seventh traffic fatalities of 2026
The deaths mark Maui County’s sixth and seventh traffic fatalities this year. At the same point in 2025, the county had recorded 12 traffic deaths.
Police did not release additional information about the victims beyond their ages and hometowns, and no further updates on the investigation were immediately provided.
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