Friends and clients remember photographer Samuel Mitzel of Anahola, Kauai, as a positive influence on those around him who always put others first.

"It was never really about Sam," friend and neighbor Jimmy Rodelo said Thursday. "It was about other people."

Mitzel, 28, died in a car crash in Kilauea on Tuesday night.

Police said a Ford pickup truck traveling on Kuhio Highway crossed the centerline and sideswiped a Jeep traveling in the opposite direction. The Jeep then crashed head-on into a Dodge sport utility vehicle driven by Mitzel. His father, Keith, a passenger in the SUV, was flown to the Queen’s Medical Center in critical condition.

Police arrested the 51-year-old pickup driver, a resident of Kilauea, on suspicion of negligent injury and negligent homicide. He was released pending further investigation.

Mitzel’s death is the first traffic-related fatality on Kauai this year.

Rodelo described Mitzel as a dedicated father and loving husband. He leaves behind his wife, Kirsten, and daughter, Cosette, 1½ years old. Mitzel was a member of the Lihue Missionary Church. "He really loved God,"said Rodelo, adding that he would share his faith through his care for others. "He was the kind of guy that would give you the shirt off his back."

Mitzel, originally from Pennsylvania, was a photographer on Kauai, concentrating on weddings and families. He moved to the island in 2007.

On his Facebook page, friends and former clients shared memories of Mitzel and sent prayers to his family. Joel Downs described him as a brilliant photographer and unconditional friend who could light up a room with laughter. "Sam Mitzel, what can I say? You are a role model for happiness brother!" wrote Downs.

Evan Bennett wrote, "You were always smiling and always positive. This loss is ground shaking. God has a plan for you, and I guess he needed you now."