A 24-year-old man died and a second person was critically injured in a single-vehicle crash on Kaumualii Highway in Lihue early Saturday morning, according to authorities.
At approximately 3:10 a.m., a 2003 Jeep Wrangler was traveling east on Kaumualii Highway near Kalepa Street when it struck a cement curb, collided with two traffic signal poles, and overturned, Kauai Police Department (KPD) officials stated. Both occupants were ejected and transported to Wilcox Medical Center.
The driver, identified as Caden Garon, succumbed to his injuries, KPD reported. The passenger was later transported to The Queen's Medical Center in critical condition; no further details on the passenger have been released.
Emergency crews closed the intersection for over two hours while KPD's Traffic Safety Section conducted an investigation. Authorities noted that speed appears to have contributed to the crash, and toxicology results are pending.
This incident marks Kauai's fourth traffic fatality of 2026.