Two motorcyclists were killed and three injured Sunday when riders in a motorcycle rally on Maui became involved in a chain-reaction crash, Maui police said.
Police identified those killed as Abel Ventura Jr., 58, and Marlene Debnam, 56, both of Wailuku.
Six motorcycles, all Harley-Davidsons, and two pickup trucks were involved, police said. None of the motorcyclists was wearing a helmet, police said.
A group of more than 50 motorcycles was traveling south on North Kihei Road in a St. Patrick’s Day road rally, police said. About 600 feet south of the intersection with Honoapiilani Highway, a red 1988 Harley driven by Ventura crossed the center line and hit two northbound pickup trucks at 5:13 p.m., police said.
The first truck to be hit, a gray 1988 Toyota, veered into the southbound lanes. To avoid a collision, a motorcycle braked and skidded onto its left side; it was then hit from behind by another motorcycle, police said.
The gray pickup continued traveling north in the southbound lane and collided with three more motorcycles, police said. Debnam was driving the last motorcycle to hit the truck, police said.
Police said Ventura and Debnam died at the scene.
The driver of the motorcycle that skidded, a 46-year-old man, was treated and released for cuts to his left elbow and left calf, police said. A 56-year-old woman in the group of three motorcycles that crashed suffered a broken arm and injuries to her left knee. A 49-year-old man, also in the last group of motorcycles to crash, was treated and released for exhaust burns to his right shin.
No one else reported injuries. None of the vehicles had passengers, just drivers.
The traffic fatalities were the fourth and fifth in Maui County this year; there were two at this time last year.
