Maui police believe speed and alcohol were factors in this morning’s head-on crash that killed five people who were ejected from a Dodge Neon in Upcountry Maui, Maui Police Lt. Wayne Ibarra said.

Police continue to investigate whether drugs may have been a factor in the crash, Ibarra said. Investigators also continue to try to determine where the victims were from.

The crash was reported at 6:30 a.m. near the intersection of Noholoa Place.

The blue, 1998 Dodge Neon was heading north on Kula Highway when it crossed the center line and crashed into the blue, 2003 Suzuki Aerio, ejecting five of the Neon’s occupants onto the highway, Ibarra said.

The sixth occupant of the Dodge Neon — possibly the driver — was the lone survivor in the car, Ibarra said.

Police arrived and found three men and a woman dead at the scene, Ibarra said.

A fifth man died en route to Maui Memorial Hospital, Ibarra said.

The three occupants in the Suzuki — all residents of Pukalani — were taken to Maui Memorial Hospital in serious condition, Ibarra said. 

They were the 46-year-old driver; his 47-year-old wife who was in the passenger seat; and a 55-year-old, female passenger who was in the back seat, Ibarra said.

Police have closed Kula Highway between Nohola Place and Lower Kula Road to investigate the crash.