Motorcyclist dies in Oʻahu’s 41st traffic fatality for 2023

HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Honolulu Police Department reported that at 11:50 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 20, the Vehicular Homicide Section was notified by the Medical Examiner’s Office that a 21-year-old male motorcyclist died due to the injuries sustained in a motor vehicle collision.

HPD said this is the 41st traffic fatality for Oʻahu; at this time in 2022, Oʻahu 37 fatalities.

This was the 41st traffic fatality on Oahu this year, as compared to 37 at the same time last year.

At around 7:30 p.m., HPD said that the 21-year-old adult male motorcyclist was traveling westbound on the H-1 Freeway. HPD said he was speeding while also weaving through traffic.

The 21-year-old motorcyclist was reported to have been attempting to exit the freeway at the Waipahu off-ramp when he, for unknown reasons, attempted to re-enter the freeway traffic from the exit ramp lane.

Viewer video taken by Emily Calbero Tsutsui:

However, rather than rejoining the flow of traffic, the 21-year-old motorcyclist traveled through the traffic gore leading him to collide with the safety barrier at the entry point of the exit ramp.

This cause him to be ejected onto the H-1 Freeway and into the path of oncoming, westbound traffic where a 69-year-old male motorist reportedly ran over the 21-year-old motorcyclst.

Emergency Medical Services said they were called to the scene at around 7:30 p.m. When they arrived, they found the male motorcyclist suffering from life-threatening injuries.

As a result, the 21-year-old motorcyclist was to a local area hospital in critical condition by EMS personnel.

HPD said the 69-year-old motorist was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the collision. He also had a 70-year-old female passenger and a 13-year-old passenger. Neither passenger was injured in the collision.

HPD said the investigation is ongoing.