LIHU‘E — A Lawa‘i man was arrested in connection with a two-vehicle crash, in which one Kalaheo resident was killed and another was seriously injured in January.
Keola DeCosta, 42, was taken into custody at approximately 11 a.m. on March 14, the Kaua‘i Police Department (KPD) said.
DeCosta is charged with the following offenses in relation to the crash: manslaughter, negligent homicide in the first degree, negligent injury in the first degree and inattention to driving and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant.
He is also charged with resisting arrest, reckless driving, excessive speeding, promoting a detrimental drug in the third degree and consuming or possessing intoxicating liquor while operating a motor vehicle.
An investigation into the crash resulted in findings submitted to the County of Kaua‘i Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, “which subsequently brought the case before a grand jury,” the KPD said. “The grand jury determined that there was enough evidence to move forward with the case.”
The charges stem from a two-vehicle crash, which occurred at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 19, on Po‘ipu Road.
DeCosta was behind the wheel of a 2023 Toyota Tacoma, which was traveling westbound on Po‘ipu Road fronting Po‘ipu Shopping Village in Koloa (previously known as Kiahuna Shopping Center), when the vehicle rear-ended a 2014 Hyundai Accent. The force of the crash caused both vehicles to leave the roadway.
“Medics and police arrived at the scene to find that both vehicles were located in the bushes off the westbound shoulder. The driver of the Tacoma, DeCosta, was uninjured in the collision,” the KPD said.
“The driver of the Hyundai, a 69-year-old man from Kalaheo, suffered fatal injuries. The passenger of the Hyundai, a 25-year-old woman from Kalaheo, suffered serious injuries and (was) medevaced to Queen’s Medical Center on O‘ahu and (was) listed in serious condition.”
No further updates on the woman’s condition have been provided since the crash.
DeCosta was initially arrested after the crash, and then released pending further investigation. That sort of release can happen when more time is needed — beyond the maximum 48-hour hold period in police custody — for police to investigate a case before charges are made.
DeCosta is being held on $250,000 bail at the KPD Cell Block. A bail hearing is set for 9 a.m. Tuesday in circuit court in Lihu‘e.
