Driver is accused of negligent homicide
A woman accused of causing a fatal head-on collision on Kamehameha Highway near Kawela Bay in April was drunk, high and speeding, said Keith Seto, deputy city prosecutor.
The front-seat passenger in the vehicle, Joshua Plandor, 24, of Haleiwa, died in the April 11 crash.
An Oahu grand jury returned an indictment Thursday charging the driver, Nicole Marie Russo, with negligent homicide. The indictment also charges Russo with assault for causing injuries to the other driver.
Seto said in state court Thursday that Russo was speeding when her vehicle crossed the centerline and crashed into an oncoming vehicle. Seto said Russo’s blood alcohol content was 0.17, more than double the legal threshold for drunken driving, and that she also tested positive for marijuana.
Punch suspect charged with manslaughter
The man accused of throwing a punch that led to the death of a 27-year-old Honolulu man is charged with manslaughter, Deputy City Prosecutor Keith Seto said.
An Oahu grand jury returned an indictment Thursday charging Reuben Silva, 36, with manslaughter for causing the death of James Simon.
An autopsy says Simon died from head injuries he suffered when he fell on a hard surface. The prosecution says Silva punched Simon near the corner of North King and Factory streets in Kalihi on Jan. 20. Simon died Feb. 18.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Ex-lawmaker denies guilt in theft case
Former state Rep. Roland Sagum III pleaded not guilty Thursday to a theft charge involving the alleged taking of rocks from a heiau in Poipu.
Sagum is expected to appear in Kauai Circuit Court on Monday before Judge Kathleen Watanabe to schedule a trial date, said his attorney, Craig De Costa.
Sagum is charged with second-degree theft for allegedly taking rocks from a heiau on a 15-acre archaeological site. The charge is a Class C felony that carries a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Lealiki Koli, a second man charged, turned himself in to police Wednesday night. He was released on bail of $2,000, said county spokeswoman Sarah Blane. His arraignment is scheduled for March 19.
Koli allegedly used heavy equipment to take rocks from the heiau to build a wall on Sagum’s land. Koli was charged with second-degree theft and second-degree criminal property damage.
Truckloads of rocks with an estimated value of $6,000 were allegedly taken between June 27 and July 4, 2011. Damage to the site was estimated at $7,000.
3 lost hunters receive help from firefighters
Maui County firefighters found and escorted three hunters Thursday who were reported lost on the Waiakoa Loop Trail in Polipoli.
Three men, Maui residents ages 40, 27, and 21, became disoriented in fog and darkness and lost their way. Rescue personnel found them at about 2 a.m. and escorted them out, reaching the trail head at about 3 a.m., a county news release said. No injuries were reported.
