The New Year’s holiday was a deadly one on Big Island roads, with two fatalities reported by Thursday morning.
Two minutes into the new year, police responded to a South Kona traffic collision involving a car and a pedestrian that left the male pedestrian dead.
The driver of the vehicle, 23-year-old Kelly Kaikili Losalio of Captain Cook, was arrested. He was charged with first-degree negligent homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol, and his bail was set at $10,500.
The pedestrian has been positively identified as 52-year-old Jelson Kainue Leslie of Captain Cook.
Officers determined that Losalio was driving a white 2018 Honda Accord eastbound on the 82-1000 block of Kinue Road in Captain Cook when he reportedly struck Leslie, who police say was setting up fireworks in the roadway in celebration of the new year.
After striking Leslie, the Honda collided with a parked white 1998 Chevrolet pickup truck.
Leslie was transported to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1 a.m.
Preliminary findings suggest that both speed and impairment contributed to the collision, according to police.
Leslie’s death was Hawaii island’s first traffic fatality of 2025. An autopsy has been ordered.
The negligent homicide charge is a Class B felony that carries a potential 10-year prison term upon conviction.
Losalio made his initial appearance Thursday in Kona District Court. He was granted supervised release — a form of cashless bail — by Judge Ann Datta and ordered to return Jan. 23 for a preliminary hearing.
In Waikoloa a 74-year-old Waikoloa man died Wednesday afternoon after his SUV rolled over in Waikoloa Village.
According to police, officers responded to the scene of the crash at the intersection of Eleele and Haena streets. Preliminary investigation revealed that the man was driving a blue 2019 Mercedes-Benz 300 SUV southbound on Eleele Street when it crossed over double solid yellow lines, struck a rock wall and overturned.
The driver, identified as 74-year-old Ray Donnell Worrells, was taken to North Hawaii Community Hospital in critical condition. He died at 8:20 a.m. Thursday.
His death was the Big Island’s second official traffic fatality of the year, compared with none at this time in 2024.
The investigation is ongoing and an autopsy has been ordered.
Anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to contact officer Dayson Taniguchi at 808-326-4646, ext. 229, or dayson.taniguchi@hawaiicounty.gov. Anonymous tips can be provided to CrimeStoppers at 808-961-8300.
In an unrelated case, police have identified the bicyclist who died after being struck by a car Monday evening in Pahoa as 58-year-old James M. Cordova of Pahoa.
Cordova was riding his bicycle east on Kahakai Boulevard just west of Olao Street when he was struck by an eastbound 2018 Volkswagen GTI sedan driven by 36-year-old Michael L. Richardson of Pahoa.
Cordova was unresponsive at the scene and later pronounced dead at Hilo Benioff Medical Center.
Richardson was arrested on suspicion of first-degree negligent homicide, DUI and driving without insurance. He was released from custody without being charged pending further investigation and the results of toxicology tests.
Cordova’s death was the 29th and final official traffic fatality of 2024, which had almost twice as many traffic deaths as the 15 recorded in 2023.
