2 people killed in New Year’s Day crashes on Kauai, Oahu

A 21-year-old woman on Kauai and a 33-year-old man on Oahu were killed in vehicle crashes today, Hawaii’s first two traffic deaths of the new year following 2025’s more than 30% increase in road fatalities.

Kauai police said that at about 3:30 a.m., a 2006 Toyota truck was traveling south on Kuhio Highway near Wilcox Medical Center when it struck a stone wall and utility pole on the southbound shoulder.

The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was identified as Talia Jimenez, a 21-year-old resident of Koloa, who died in the crash.

A preliminary investigation indicates that speed appears to be a contributing factor, according to police, who added that toxicology results are pending to determine whether impairment also played a role.

The highway was closed in both directions for about three hours while the KPD’s Traffic Safety Section investigated and Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative crews cleared downed utility lines.

On Oahu, at about 8:50 a.m., a 33-year-old driver and his 24-year-old male passenger were traveling north on Coral Sea Road in Kalaeloa “at a high rate of speed” when the driver traveled to the right of the road near the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue and hit a fence, according to the Honolulu Police Department’s Traffic Division.

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The driver, who was not immediately identified, was treated by Emergency Medical Services and taken to a hospital in critical condition, where he was pronounced dead, police said. The passenger was taken to a hospital in serious condition.

HPD said speed appears to be a factor in the crash but it is unknown whether drugs or alcohol contributed.

This was Oahu’s first traffic fatality this year compared with none at the same time in 2025.

Hawaii recorded 129 traffic fatalities in 2025, up 32% from a year earlier, making it the deadliest year on island roads since 2007.

RELATED STORY: ‘Safe Roads Challenge’ promotes safe driving as Hawaii fatalities rise

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