A state judge ordered the motorist who ran over and killed a 57-year-old grandmother in Makaha last year to 30 days in jail Wednesday for negligent homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal traffic accident.
The jail term is part of a four-year probation sentence Circuit Judge Colette Garibaldi handed Vince Kalaola.
Kalaola, 22, pleaded no contest to the charges in February.
Garibaldi ordered Kalaola to begin serving his jail term immediately. She also ordered him to reimburse the relatives of his victim the $7,394 they paid for burial and funeral expenses.
Honolulu police said Kalaola was heading town-bound on Farrington Highway on May 31, 2015, when his vehicle left the roadway and struck Gail Peeples and Peeples’ 13-year-old granddaughter. The two were walking along the makai side of the roadway fronting Keaau Beach Park.
Lyman Peeples said Wednesday that his mother was on her way to catch a bus to visit him in jail.
Gail Peeples died at the scene. Her granddaughter went by ambulance to a hospital in serious condition.
Deputy Public Defender Crystal Glendon said Kalaola had been hanging out and drinking with friends at Yokohama Bay before heading home just before sunrise. She said Kalaola’s car swerved, made impact, left the roadway and barely missed hitting a tree.
Deputy Prosecutor Adrian Dhakwha said police estimate Kalaola’s car was traveling 26-31 mph when it hit Peeples and that Kalaola probably fell asleep behind the wheel.
Glendon said Kalaola panicked, and instead of stopping, went home, not far from where he had hit Peeples. She said Kalaola’s parents called police after their son’s friends showed up at the house and told them what happened.
Kalaola gave police a statement, told them he was the driver and agreed to a blood alcohol test, which measured 0.09, Glendon said. The legal threshold for drunken driving is 0.08.
