Spreckelsville, HI — May 2, 2025, four people were injured in a car accident at about 3:45 p.m. on Hana Highway/State Route 36.

Authorities said a 2007 GMC Sierra was trying to pass other vehicles while heading east near Nonohe Place when it collided head-on with a 2023 Nissan Altima.

A 63-year-old Idaho woman who was a passenger in the Nissan suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash, according to authorities, while the 68-year-old driver and a 73-year-old passenger suffered major injuries.

The pickup driver, a 52-year-old Paia man, also suffered major injuries, authorities said, after the airbag in his vehicle did not deploy in the crash.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Maui crash.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

Those affected by a crash like this almost always find themselves looking for answers. There’s the immediate question of what happened, but just beneath that is a deeper concern: Could this have been prevented? And if so, how? In my experience, understanding what led up to a crash often requires asking questions that investigators don’t always think to ask.

First, did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash? When a crash involves multiple injuries and complex driving behavior, like an attempted pass on a busy road, there’s a lot to untangle. Determining how and why a vehicle ended up in the wrong lane is critical. Was the passing maneuver legal? Were there clear signs or road markings that might have been missed or ignored? It's also important to verify if witness statements were taken from everyone involved and any bystanders. Skipping these steps can lead to gaps in understanding exactly what caused the collision. Unfortunately, these types of investigations are sometimes limited to the obvious — who was in which lane and who got hurt — without digging into contributing factors like sightlines, road design or weather conditions.

Next, has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash? Here’s where things get more complicated, but also more revealing. It was reported that the airbag in the pickup truck didn’t deploy. That’s not just a side note; it could be a red flag. Airbags are designed to protect people in exactly this kind of head-on collision. If it didn’t go off, we have to ask: Was there a mechanical or electrical failure? Has this model of truck had any known recalls or safety issues? A malfunction like that might mean the vehicle didn’t perform the way it was supposed to, which changes the entire conversation about responsibility. It’s not just about who was driving where; it’s about whether the machine itself failed in a way that made the injuries worse than they had to be.

Finally, has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected? Modern vehicles, even those as old as the 2007 Sierra, often come with engine control modules, commonly called black boxes, that capture things like speed, braking and steering in the seconds before a crash. Newer models like the 2023 Altima almost certainly have detailed electronic data available. This kind of information can confirm or contradict what people remember. It can show if the truck was speeding, if the brakes were hit too late or if either vehicle tried to swerve. Without this data, we’re relying on fragments of memory and the physical aftermath, which can sometimes paint an incomplete picture.

At the end of the day, I believe people deserve to know not just what happened, but why it happened. Asking the right questions, even the uncomfortable ones, can help fill in the blanks and bring clarity when everything else feels uncertain.

Key Takeaways:

• Police reports don’t always capture every factor in a complex crash: road design, visibility and driver intent all matter.
• A failed airbag might signal a deeper problem with the vehicle itself and deserves close inspection.
• Black box data can offer clear answers about what each vehicle was doing right before the crash.
• Even seemingly clear-cut cases often benefit from a second look at the facts and technology involved.
• Asking deeper questions helps ensure accountability and may prevent similar incidents in the future.