HONOLULU (Island News) – A fatal single-vehicle collision on the Pali Highway occurred Thursday morning, resulting in significant lane closures.
At approximately 6:09 a.m., a 16-year-old girl lost control of her vehicle while traveling northbound at high speed in the Kailua area, according to the Honolulu Police Department (HPD). The vehicle struck a concrete barrier and fell approximately 50 feet into a ravine.
The car continued across the ravine, struck an embankment, and caught fire. Emergency responders from the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) arrived on the scene at 6:15 a.m. They reported that the fire was under control by 6:22 a.m. and fully extinguished by 6:26 a.m.
The girl was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene following a medical assessment. HFD crews secured her body and used a rope rescue system to remove her from the brush below the embankment.
HPD announced closures for all Kailua-bound lanes of the Pali Highway beginning at 7:08 a.m. The lanes were reopened at 1:21 p.m. Authorities said speed is suspected as a contributing factor in the incident, while the involvement of drugs or alcohol remains under investigation.
This incident marks Oahu's 20th traffic fatality of the year. Further details are pending as the investigation continues.