HONOLULU (Island News) – A fatal single-vehicle collision occurred on the Pali Hwy early Thursday morning, resulting in lane closures.
At approximately 6:09 a.m., a 16-year-old girl lost control of her vehicle while traveling northbound, according to the Honolulu Police Department (HPD). The car struck the right concrete barrier, became airborne, and fell 50 feet into a ravine.
Emergency responders from the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) arrived at the scene at 6:15 a.m., where the vehicle was found engulfed in flames on an embankment. Firefighters initiated a fire attack, bringing the blaze under control by 6:22 a.m. and fully extinguishing it by 6:26 a.m. During the search efforts, the unresponsive girl was discovered in the brush below the embankment and was pronounced dead at the scene.
All Kailua-bound lanes of the Pali Hwy were closed starting at 7:08 a.m. due to the incident. HPD officials indicated that speed was likely a contributing factor, but it remains unclear if drugs or alcohol were involved.
This marks Oahu's 20th traffic fatality of 2023, compared to 38 fatalities at the same time in 2022.
An investigation is ongoing, with authorities expected to provide further updates.