LIHU‘E — A Lawa‘i driver involved in a fatal two-vehicle crash on Kaumuali‘i Highway Christmas Eve two years ago has pleaded not guilty to all charges, ranging from manslaughter to negligent homicide for deaths resulting from the collision.
Sandon Igne, 32, appeared in-person Tuesday at the Kaua‘i Fifth Circuit Court to enter his plea.
Judge Catherine Remigio, who appeared via video conference from O‘ahu, tentatively scheduled a jury trial on Kaua‘i for March, but that date was suggested as a placeholder while the defense’s investigation proceeded.
Igne’s court-appointed attorney Mark Zenger suggested a July jury trial would be more fitting.
On Dec. 24, 2020, Igne was operating a westbound pickup truck that veered onto the shoulder before crossing back into the westbound lane, and then into the eastbound lane, hitting an oncoming sedan near Knudsen Gap (Halfway Bridge), east of the Maluhia Road (Tree Tunnel) junction, according to Kaua‘i Police Department Traffic Section reports.
The sedan, operated by a teen driver, contained three other passengers, including rear passenger, 49-year-old Hanama‘ulu resident Eugenia Villanueva, who suffered fatal injuries.
A 71-year-old rear ‘Ele‘ele passenger, Delfin Geronimo, died last September as a result of the injuries.
Igne was arrested earlier this month on a warrant based on a grand-jury indictment issued in December that charged him with 12 criminal counts, including two counts of manslaughter and two counts of negligent homicide in the first degree for these deaths.
The December grand-jury indictment also charged Igne with three counts of negligent injury, operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant, reckless driving, promoting a harmful drug and prohibited acts related to drug paraphernalia.
Igne was first arrested on charges of manslaughter and three counts of negligent injury in December 2020.
A pre-trial conference is scheduled for Feb. 14 at 10 a.m.
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Sabrina Bodon, editor, can be reached at 245-0441 or sbodon@thegardenisland.com.
