One of two men charged with manslaughter in the death of an 11-year-old boy in Waimanalo last summer denies he was racing before the crash, his attorney said Thursday.
Travis Murray, 21, entered a plea of not guilty Thursday before Circuit Judge Richard Perkins.
Co-defendant Herbert Kaio-Campbell, 21, also pleaded not guilty Thursday. Both are scheduled to go on trial Oct. 10 before Circuit Judge Colette Garibaldi.
An Oahu grand jury indicted the men Aug. 3 on manslaughter and second-degree assault charges.
Police said the men were racing in Waimanalo at about 1:40 a.m. July 25, 2010, when Kaio-Campbell’s vehicle slammed into a third car.
The back-seat passenger in that third car, Samuel Kassebeer, 11, was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said Kaio-Campbell and Murray were passing each other in no-passing zones when Kaio-Campbell slammed into a car making a left turn in front of him near 41-640 Kalanianaole Highway. Kaio-Campbell’s car was traveling 77 mph at the time of the impact, prosecutors said.
The impact also injured driver Shayna Joseph and front-seat passenger Eunice "Ming Toi" Goo, who suffered broken ribs and other injuries after being ejected from the car.
Murray’s lawyer, Michael Green, told reporters following the arraignment that Murray denies that he was racing with Kaio-Campbell and was "driving close to the speed limit" of 35 mph there.
Green said he doesn’t understand how Murray "got dragged into the case" since "his car was not responsible for the car that impacted with the decedent."
Green said Murray did not know that anyone had died in the accident and voluntarily returned to the area.
"He was called because his friend had been in an accident. He came back to the scene and discovered what was there. He had no idea there had been a crash. He had no idea anyone was dead," Green said.
"He is a nice young kid that was sucked into something, and he is going to have to deal with it."
Kaio-Campbell entered his plea via closed-circuit video from Oahu Community Correctional Center, where is held in lieu of $75,000 bail.
Jeff Hawk, Kaio-Campbell’s attorney, said his client is "extremely remorseful for what happened," but Hawk said he can’t comment on the reports the two were racing until he reads the police reports.
Hawk said Kaio-Campbell wants to apologize to the Kassebeer family "for what happened and his involvement, and if he could take back that night, he would."
Hawk said the families are related.
"Waimanalo is a small, close-knit community," Hawk said. "I think this is a tragedy for both families."
City prosecutors said Kaio-Campbell had a blood-alcohol content of 0.10. He was 20 at the time of the crash; drivers under 21 are not allowed to have any alcohol in their system.
Two months before the crash, Kaio-Campbell, a former Pearl Harbor Shipyard worker, was honored by the Honolulu Fire Department with a civilian medal of valor for rescuing a woman from rough surf at Makapuu Beach.
