Kaua‘i teen suffers serious injuries after being ejected from utility terrain vehicle

A 19-year-old man from Kekaha suffered serious injuries after a two-vehicle collision on Kaumuali‘i Highway near Pāʻulaʻula State Historic Site.

The crash occurred on Tuesday at approximately 2:15 p.m. According to Kaua‘i Police Department, a Kawasaki utility terrain vehicle (UTV) carrying three occupants was traveling east on Kaumuali‘i Highway. As the operator attempted to make a left turn, a 2021 Toyota SUV with a single occupant hit the UTV from behind as the SUV driver attempted to pass.

“The impact caused the UTV to collide with a guardrail on the westbound shoulder,” a Kaua‘i County news release stated. “Two passengers were ejected from the UTV.”

The Kekaha teen was one of the occupants ejected. He suffered serious injuries and was taken to Wilcox Medical Center for treatment. The second passenger, a 19-year-old man from Waimea, was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the Toyota, a minor, reported no injuries.

Kaumuali‘i Highway was closed in both directions for approximately one and a half hours as officers with the Kaua‘i Police Department’s Traffic Safety Section conducted an on-scene investigation. Speed and impairment do not appear to be contributing factors in the crash at this time.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is urged to call Officer Henshaw at 808-241-1616. Those wishing to remain anonymous can provide information by calling Crime Stoppers Kauaʻi at 808-246-8300, submitting a tip at crimestopperskauai.org, or through the Crime Stoppers Kauaʻi P3 Tips Mobile App.