Question: Whatever happened to the two drivers arrested following traffic incidents in September and January in which Honolulu police officers who had pulled over to the side of a highway were struck and killed?
Answer: Charges have yet to be announced in either case. The Honolulu Police Department recently turned over its completed investigation regarding the September death of officer Eric Fontes to the deputy prosecutor in charge of reviewing the case, said a spokesman for the city Department of the Prosecuting Attorney. The January case involving officer Garret Davis is still under investigation by police.
Prosecutor’s spokesman Dave Koga said it is difficult to tell when charges might be announced in the September case because the reviewing attorney could conclude that HPD needs to further investigate the case.
Fontes, 45, a seven-year HPD veteran, was killed when a pickup truck hit him at about 10:30 p.m. Sept. 13 while he and four other officers were standing on the side of Farrington Highway conducting a traffic stop near Ko Olina. Another officer, Herman “Sam” Scanlan, was injured.
The driver of the truck was identified as James J. Dorsey Mancao, 20, a Waianae resident and a member of the Hawaii Army National Guard.
Dorsey Mancao was arrested after the incident on suspicion of first-degree negligent homicide and first-degree negligent injury. He was released without charges pending investigation. Alcohol was not suspected as a factor in that accident, police said at the time.
About four months later Davis, 28, was killed when a pickup truck crashed into the back of his parked patrol car.
Davis was on his way to drop off paperwork at police headquarters on
Jan. 21 when he pulled over to help people in a stalled vehicle in the H-1 freeway’s left, eastbound lane at the Kaonohi Street overpass in Aiea.
Davis had turned on his blue lights and was sitting in the car when a pickup truck rear-ended the patrol car, causing it to burst into flames.
Scott Frederick Ebert, a Mililani resident and member of the Air Force Reserve, was arrested on suspicion of negligent homicide and was released pending investigation. Police are still investigating the case, Koga said.
A bill is alive at the Legislature that would require motorists to provide a one-lane buffer when possible, or slow down, while passing a stopped emergency vehicle.
House Bill 2030 has been heard and amended by both chambers. The House announced that it disagreed with Senate amendments to the bill, so lawmakers will likely try to reach a compromise in conference committee.
The Senate had amended the definition of “emergency vehicle” to include a police or fire department vehicle, ocean safety vehicle, emergency medical services vehicle, freeway service patrol vehicle, or tow truck. The Senate also reduced the severity of an incident to a traffic violation instead of a petty misdemeanor if no death or injury occurred.
———
This update was written by Sarah Zoellick. Suggest a topic for “Whatever Happened To…” by writing Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813; call
529-4747; or email cityeditors@staradvertiser.com.
