Police said Cooney, 30, of Pa'ia, was traveling northwest on Kaupakalua Road about 1:30 a.m. when he lost control of his 1988 Toyota pickup truck about two-tenths of a mile northwest of Awalau Road. The truck drifted off the road's shoulder, hit an embankment and flipped over. Cooney was partially ejected from the truck and pinned under it when it rolled over, investigators said.

They said Cooney, who was alone in the truck, died at the scene. Official pronouncement of his death was made at 5:11 a.m. at the Maui Memorial Medical Center.

Cooney was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, investigators said. They have not determined if speed, alcohol or drugs played a part in the crash.

There have been 15 traffic fatalities in Maui County so far this year compared with 13 during the same period last year.

News of Cooney's death spread quickly through Maui's close-knit surfing community.

Several surfers described Cooney as a dedicated regular at Ho'okipa Beach on Maui's North Shore. They said Cooney pursued ambitions of becoming a professional surfer throughout the late 1990s, spending winters on Oahu's North Shore, site of many professional surfing events.

For the past three or four months, Cooney worked as a parking valet at Mama's Fish House restaurant in Pa'ia.

Tante Sumibcay, valet manager, said Cooney's co-workers and friends were shocked to learn of his death.

"He was such a good guy, I can't believe this happened to him," Sumibcay said. "I got a call about 8 a.m. (today) — I heard all the sirens go past my house last night," he said.

Sumibcay said Cooney did not work last night and recently had purchased the truck he was driving when killed.

"It was this little low-rider thing he bought just last week," Sumibcay said.

He described Cooney as "one of the Ho'okipa boys," a group of about 100 regulars who show up at the popular spot whenever there is good surf.

"He was kind of fading out of the competitive end of surfing," Sumibcay said. "He still had a sponsor or two, but his focus had shifted to working full time and making some money."