Waimanalo, HI — April 8, 2025, one person was killed in a truck accident at about 3:45 p.m. at Mahailua Street and Waikupanaha Street.

Authorities said motorcycle crashed into a flatbed truck at the intersection.

The motorcyclist, a 22-year-old man whose name has not been made public, died at the scene of the crash, according to authorities.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the crash at this time. The accident is still being investigated.

Commentary

When a motorcyclist loses their life in a crash involving a flatbed truck, especially at a low-speed intersection like Mahailua and Waikupanaha streets, the key legal questions are: Who had the right of way, and did both parties have a clear opportunity to see and avoid each other? These types of collisions aren’t just about one vehicle striking another. They’re about timing, visibility and decision-making in those final few seconds before impact.

Motorcycles are often harder to spot than cars or trucks, which is why commercial drivers are trained to look specifically for them, particularly at intersections where they may be crossing, turning or approaching faster than expected. If the truck was making a turn or pulling across lanes, the driver had a legal duty to make sure the path was clear and that approaching vehicles had enough time to react. That responsibility is even more important when the vehicle in question is something as exposed and vulnerable as a motorcycle.

On the other hand, investigators will also need to examine whether the motorcyclist was operating at a safe speed and whether they had enough time to see the flatbed truck and react. If the motorcycle entered the intersection at a high rate of speed or outside of expected traffic patterns, that could complicate the legal picture. But even so, a flatbed truck turning or crossing at an uncontrolled intersection carries with it a burden of caution that can’t be ignored.

The layout of the intersection also matters here. Were there visual obstructions — parked vehicles, overgrown vegetation, road signs — that might have prevented either party from seeing the other in time? Was the truck making a wide or awkward turn that blocked the motorcyclist’s lane? These are the kinds of real-world conditions that may not show up in a police report but can make all the difference in determining fault.

A fatal motorcycle crash involving a commercial vehicle should never be treated as routine. Even in smaller towns or residential areas, the legal standards for professional drivers don’t change. They are expected to operate with a level of care that reflects the size and risk of the vehicle they’re driving.

Ultimately, the goal of this investigation should be more than just identifying who collided with whom. It should determine whether both drivers exercised the caution the law demands, and whether the decisions made in those final moments could have, and should have, been different. When someone loses their life at an intersection like this, those questions aren’t optional: they’re essential to understanding what really happened.