Two accidents cause traffic delays Wednesday

LIHUE — Two separate accidents caused major traffic delays Wednesday afternoon.

Police closed Maluhia Road, between Kaumuali’i Highway and Alaneo Road, about 2:30 p.m. due to a single-vehicle crash.

According to police, a pickup truck was heading south on Maluhia Road, when the driver lost control of his vehicle and struck a utility pole on the southbound shoulder of the road.

Police said the impact caused the pole to split in half and fall onto the road, subsequently bringing down a second pole.

The driver of the truck, a 56-year-old male, was not hurt.

Maluhia Road was closed until about 5 p.m. to allow Kauai’i Island Utility Cooperative and Hawaian Ttelecom to clear the road and install a new utility pole.

Additionally, Police Dispatch was notified shortly after this incident of a five-car crash on Kaumuali’i Highway just east of Knudsen Gap.

According to police, a westbound Toyota truck driven by a 71-year-old male hit a vehicle that was stopped in front of him. The impact caused further collisions with three other vehicles in front.

The 71-year-old driver was transported by medics to Wilcox Hospital for chest pain. A 78-year-old male driver of another vehicle was treated at the scene for neck pain.

No other injuries were reported.

Two of the vehicles involved sustained major damages and were towed from the scene.

The eastbound lane of Kaumuali‘i Highway was used for alternating traffic during the investigation.