A man and woman, both 61, died in a crash on Kamehameha Highway near Kipapa Gulch.

Honolulu police said the crash happened at about 3:45 p.m. Friday when a male driver of a 2008 Toyota Tacoma tried to overtake a vehicle ahead of him.

He was traveling northbound in the left lane of the highway. As he changed into the right lane, the driver saw another vehicle and swerved back into the left lane, lost control and went up the embankment, police said. The truck rolled onto its roof, and the driver and his passenger died at the scene.

Police shut Kamehameha Highway from Lanikuhana Avenue to Ka Uka Boulevard as they waited for tow trucks to clear the scene at about 6 p.m.

These were the 40th and 41st traffic deaths on Oahu so far this year, compared with 27 at the same time last year.