The medical examiner’s office identified the dead motorcyclist as Ronald D.K. Lopes Jr. An autopsy was being done today to determine the cause of death.

Investigators determined that Lopes was Kahuku-bound on a 1993 Honda motorcycle at 8:48 p.m. yesterday when he veered off the roadway and onto the right shoulder of Kamehameha Highway, 124 feet south of Hi'iaka Road. A 1979 Toyota pickup truck, driven by a 24-year-old Waiahole man was behind Lopes and may have struck the motorcycle, police said.

Anyone who may have witnessed the accident is asked to call vehicular homicide investigator Lisa Reed at 529-3157.

The 24-year-old man, who was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, could face other charges if it is determined by the autopsy that Lopes’ death was caused by being struck by a pickup truck rather than the motorcycle crash, police said.

Yesterday’s death was O'ahu’s 62nd traffic fatality of the year, compared with 49 at this time last year. It is also the fourth fatality of the month and 10th over a six-week period dating back to Sept. 4.

Eight of the 62 fatalities have involved motorcyclists. Police said Lopes was not wearing a safety helmet.

Police were also investigating a crash today on the Pali Highway near the off-ramp to the Pali Lookout. A patrol officer discovered the crash at 4:37 a.m.

A 52-year-old man, found in a car that had crashed into a brush area, was taken to The Queen’s Medical Center in critical condition.

The patrol officer discovered the car crash while investigating why the street lights on the Kailua-bound side of Pali Highway near the tunnel were out.