Chelsea Meyer still remembers the chilling call from Honolulu in March informing her of the collision that killed her mother in Ewa Beach.
On the morning of Sunday, March 24, the Honolulu Police Department reported that her mother, Naomi Meyer, 62, and James Rowland, 75, were struck by a car while on their bikes in a crosswalk at Fort Weaver and Iroquois roads.
Meyer was pronounced dead at the scene, while Rowland later died at the hospital.
“Immediately, my mind went blank,” she said. “I was in a state of shock and I dissociated. I didn’t know how to put the pieces together and I’ve never experienced that before. It just felt unreal. I’ve always had a fear of my mom getting in an accident out here, and for my biggest fear to come to fruition has been a huge nightmare.”
Chelsea Meyer, 33, of San Diego was at the state Capitol on Wednesday to meet with Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke’s staff to advocate for stronger enforcement of existing laws and street safety measures for bicyclists and pedestrians.
She also wanted to advocate, alongside the nonprofit Hawaii Bicycling League, for safer road designs and speed cameras to better enforce existing laws.
This is all done in memory of her mother, Naomi, a retired registered nurse and two-time breast cancer survivor, as well as her mother’s longtime partner, Rowland, who she said was a war veteran awarded a Purple Heart.
The 20-year-old alleged driver of the car that struck the couple, Jonah Moya, has since been charged by the Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office with two counts of second-degree negligent homicide.
According to court records, Moya posted $10,000 bail on Aug. 30.
He has pleaded not guilty, with his trial in First Circuit Court set for Nov. 4.
“They were both happy out here, living a really great life,” said Chelsea. “My mom and Jim were both healthy, active, and doing what they love.”
The couple had moved to Hawaii about 10 years ago, and led an active lifestyle walking their dog, biking every day and spending time in the ocean.
Rowland would go out on a kayak while her mother snorkeled and looked for shells — one of the best memories she has of time they spent together.
She knows the intersection where the crash occurred, which is right near the couple’s home, and recalls having had a few close calls herself while jogging in the area when she previously lived on Oahu.
“That road is very unsafe — it’s basically a race track, almost,” she said. “People like to blow through the red light because once you hit one red light, it’s all red all the way down.”
According to the Prosecutor’s office, Moya allegedly struck the couple after crossing the center line into oncoming lanes, crashing into a traffic signal pole and striking the pair in the crosswalk.
Chelsea said she is advocating for change for her single mother, who raised her while working full-time, and who would have done the same for her.
In addition to changes in policies and infrastructure, she is lobbying for more accountability and better enforcement of existing laws.
“I don’t agree with the charges brought on (Moya),” she said. “Negligent homicide times two, that would mean he would serve prison time up to 10 years. So that would mean five years for both lives lost. My mom and Jim were worth more than five years.”
Additionally, she said she is concerned that Moya still has his driver’s license.
The Hawaii Bicycling League is supporting Meyer in her time of grief and backing to her push for change.
HBL has over the past five months visited the crash site with state Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen, met with Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi and participated in an HPD traffic investigation briefing.
“Safety is everyone’s responsibility,” said HBL Advocacy Director Eduardo Hernandez in a news release. “We are thankful to have earned trust from our transportation partners, city leaders, and HPD. Together, we are striving to create a safer environment for everyone.”
The intersection where the crash occurred has multiple lanes in each direction without any devices to slow drivers approaching the intersection, HBL said.
Hernandez added that Hawaii has some great laws, including the 3-foot passing law for bicyclists and vulnerable user’s law.
“We have great laws across Hawaii,” he said. “What we need is better enforcement of existing statutes, including building safer infrastructure. If you drive, please slow down. You could save someone’s life.”
