LIHU‘E — A business owner pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge of second-degree reckless endangering recently after the forklift he was driving plowed into a truck owned by a former employee. George Cudworth, 44, owner of Hawaiian Woodworks in Lihu‘e,
LIHU‘E — A business owner pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge of second-degree reckless endangering recently after the forklift he was driving plowed into a truck owned by a former employee.
George Cudworth, 44, owner of Hawaiian Woodworks in Lihu‘e, said his foot missed the brake pedal, while the former worker, Matthew Knott, said the act was intentional.
Somewhere between their two statements is the truth, said 5th Circuit Judge Kathleen Watanabe, who on Wednesday sentenced Cudworth to 200 hours of community service and a $1,000 fine.
Knott said earlier that Cudworth lost business to Knott when Knott opened his own woodworking business, Aloha Cabinets, three years ago. He said the incident damaged his truck and injured the late Oliver “Kimo” Kaneakua.
The investigating Kaua‘i Police Department officer ruled the incident an accident, and a former county prosecuting attorney concurred, said Michael Soong, Cudworth’s attorney.
“Mr. Cudworth would never intentionally cause damage,” said Soong, indicating most of the 30 people in the courtroom were friends and family members there to support Cudworth.
Watanabe also ordered Cudworth to pay Knott $3,600 in restitution for Knott’s truck damage.
Soong and Cudworth said Cudworth would build picnic tables for the County of Kaua‘i as part of his community-service requirement, and will also pay restitution and a $55 crime-victim-compensation fee in addition to the fine.
State law defines second-degree reckless endangering as “conduct that recklessly places another person in danger of death or serious bodily injury.”
Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho, county prosecuting attorney, asked for a six-month sentence for Cudworth. She said Kaneakua said it was intentional. “This was reckless conduct,” and risky, she said.
“It was not a misalignment in the universe that caused this accident,” said Watanabe, asking why Cudworth would use a forklift to get someone’s attention, and why someone with no prior record and glowing letters of support from family and friends would use such poor judgment.
“I am very sorry that this accident occurred,” and glad no one was seriously hurt and that Knott’s truck was still operational after the accident, Cudworth said.
“This guy has got an anger issue,” said Knott. “It wasn’t an accident.”
Watanabe said Cudworth’s “reckless actions” cost a lot of people a lot of time, including the police, court personnel, attorneys and others. She also thanked Knott for his appearance.
• Paul C. Curtis, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or pcurtis@kauaipubco.com.
