HONOLULU — From noon to 2 p.m. Sat., Feb. 17, state and city officials will gather at Kapiolani Boulevard and Kamakee Street to reflect on the one-year anniversary of 16-year-old Sara Yara’s death.

What You Need To Know

  • “In working closely with the school and community to prevent future tragedies, we have progressed in addressing safety in the area and reforming the legal process for habitual traffic offenders,” said House of Representatives Speaker Scott Saiki

  • After Saiki reached out to the Honolulu prosecutor’s office to address the problem of unrestricted driving privileges of habitual offenders, the prosecutor’s office is now pursuing charges for Driving Without a License offenses to be followed with a trial rather than settling for a monetary fine

  • Two House bills are progressing in the 2024 Legislative Session to increase penalties for habitual driving without a license

In Feb. 2023, 45-year-old Mitchel Miyashiro hit and killed Yara and injured a friend as they walked in a marked crosswalk on Kapiolani Boulevard on their way to McKinley High School. Miyashiro, who was reported to have had over 200 traffic-related citations and violations at the time, sped away from the scene and later turned himself in to police.

"I think about Sara and her family daily as I pass McKinley High School,” said House of Representatives Speaker Scott K. Saiki in a news release. “It remains incomprehensible that her life was claimed by a negligent driver with a history of violations. In working closely with the school and community to prevent future tragedies, we have progressed in addressing safety in the area and reforming the legal process for habitual traffic offenders.”

McKinley High School Principal Ron Okamura said he appreciates Saiki and the state for the work done to implement improvements for the safety of students and faculty. "The impact of Sara's tragedy on our campus was profound, and the pain persists every day,” he added.

Within one month of the tragedy in March, the Hawaii Department of Transportation installed speed bumps and a red camera light at Kamakee Street. Additional speed bumps were also installed on Pensacola Street near the entrance to McKinley High School. The state has also collaborated with the city Department of Transportation to conduct a traffic study to install a left turn signal at Kamakee Street, according to the release.

“Sara’s death was senseless and tragic, and Hawaii Department of Transportation mobilized quickly to install speed humps, a red-light camera, and raised crosswalks to better protect vulnerable users in the area," said HDOT Director Ed Sniffen. "We thank Speaker Saiki for leading the coordination between the City and State to get the improvements expedited, and Sara’s family and the Department of Education for bringing the community together to safeguard their community.”

After Saiki reached out to the Honolulu prosecutor’s office to address the problem of unrestricted driving privileges of habitual offenders, the prosecutor’s office is now pursuing charges for Driving Without a License offenses to be followed with a trial rather than settling for a monetary fine.

Saiki also met with the House Judiciary and district court judges are now aware of the need to hold trials on these cases.

"The senseless death of Sara Yara and the injury to her friend caused my office to take a more aggressive approach to traffic offenses, including asking for jail time for people who repeatedly drive without a license," said Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Steven S. Alm. "We are calling on judges to impose jail time for repeat offenders to deter these drivers from continuing their thoughtless and criminal behavior."

Two House bills are currently progressing in the 2024 Legislative Session. HB1562 HD1 proposes to confiscate and impound a vehicle as the maximum penalty for a third conviction of operating a vehicle without a license within a five-year period. The second, HB2526 HD1, will increase the penalty for a third DWOL violation from a misdemeanor to a Class C felony, which is punishable by a maximum fine of $10,000 and/or up to 30 days in prison.

The House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee approved both bills on Feb. 16. Upon approval by the entire House, the two bills will head to the Senate for the consideration.

Said Saiki, "These measures aim to impose stricter penalties on irresponsible drivers, a cause we have long been advocating for. Stronger limitations could potentially prevent future tragedies from occurring.”

Sarah Yamanaka covers news and events for Spectrum News Hawaii. She can be reached at sarah.yamanaka@charter.com.

Editor’s Note: The spelling of Mitchell Miyashiro’s name has been corrected to Mitchel Miyashiro. (Feb. 24, 2024)