Kapaa Man Dies in Moped, Sedan Collision on Kūhiō Highway

A black moped and a 2012 Toyota sedan collided on Kūhiō Highway in Anahola Wednesday evening, killing Kapaa resident Tristen Kuehu, 38, and shutting down the road for more than two hours.

The crash happened at approximately 7:45 p.m. April 1 in front of Anahola Marketplace on the island's northeast coast. Preliminary findings from the Kauai Police Department indicate a 77-year-old man driving the Toyota was making a left turn into the marketplace when his vehicle was struck on the side by Kuehu's moped. Kuehu sustained fatal injuries at the scene. The sedan driver's name has not been publicly released.

Kuehu was not wearing a helmet at the time of the collision, KPD confirmed. That detail carries legal weight: Hawaii's Act 222, championed by Senator Stanley Chang and effective June 25, 2025, requires all moped operators to wear a safety helmet regardless of age. Before the law took effect, only riders under 18 faced that requirement. Kuehu's death came roughly nine months after Act 222 closed that loophole. Toxicology results are pending to determine whether impairment played a role.

His death marks Kauai's third traffic fatality of 2026. The first involved a 21-year-old woman who died after her car struck a wall and utility pole earlier in the year. The second was 35-year-old Brandon Nakaahiki, killed March 20 when his 2008 Honda sedan crossed the center line on Maluhia Road in Koloa and struck a 2022 Toyota SUV head-on.

Wednesday's crash adds to a grim pattern on Kūhiō Highway's east-side corridor. In January 2022, 59-year-old Andrew Derego of Kapaa was killed while riding a red moped southbound near the Ohia Street intersection in Kapaa Town. In May 2020, another moped rider died days after crashing near Kauai Beach Drive on the same stretch of highway. The road, the island's primary east-side artery, has drawn persistent concern about the vulnerability of two-wheeled riders navigating its intersections and commercial driveways.

Statewide, the Hawaii Department of Transportation recorded 17 traffic fatalities as of March 15, 2026, comprising nine motor vehicle occupants, six pedestrians, and one motorcyclist. Speed contributed to nearly half of those deaths. The DOT has also documented that more than 1,000 people have died in moped and motorcycle crashes across Hawaii over the past decade, a toll that drove the legislative push behind Act 222.

The Kauai Police Department's traffic investigation unit is handling the case. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact KPD.