Over 100 people lined both sides of Kapiolani Boulevard Saturday afternoon, holding colorful signs with messages such as “Kokua for Keiki,” “Drive with Aloha” and “Watch for Pedestrians.”
The rally was held to commemorate Sara Yara, a 16-year-old McKinley High School student who was fatally struck one year ago by a driver at the intersection of Kapiolani Boulevard and Kamakee Street.
“I am so happy to see the outcome and everybody’s support remembering Sara,” Chevylyn Borce, Yara’s mother, said. “It’s hard to forget what happened to her, so it just makes me feel blessed to see how much support we have. We’re trying to make a difference in the community.”
Yara was walking in a marked crosswalk with two other students when she and one of the others were struck at around 6:40 a.m. on Feb. 15, 2023, by a Tacoma pickup truck. The other student was taken to a hospital in good condition after the crash.
The driver, 46-year-old Mitchel Miyashiro, was driving the truck without a license. He was charged with first-degree negligent homicide in December. According to state records, Miyashiro had 164 prior traffic citations.
“Sara’s death last year was shocking,” Mayor Rick Blangiardi said in an interview with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser at the rally. “She was young, and it was a needless death that was done by somebody who really was irresponsible with being behind the wheel.”
The rally, which drew family and friends, lawmakers and community members, was organized by Yara’s family, nonprofit MADD Hawaii and Ward Village Moms, a community group of 300 Kakaako- area mothers.
“It’s now one year since Sara has died, and we’re trying to really push for better enforcement, better laws and better road designs, and just reminding the public how important it is to drive with care,” said Karen Cheung, a founder of Ward Village Moms. “Everyone is in support to really push for positive change, and what we really want to do is bring all the stakeholders together to make meaningful change. Everyone understood what made that accident happen, and it’s really great that everyone came together.”
Among the rally’s attendees was Matthew Kanehailua, who was a key witness to the accident. He was on Kamakee Street driving home from the gym that morning, and his light had just turned green to make a left onto Kapiolani, when he heard a truck accelerating. He said he watched the truck hit her before it took off, and he immediately pulled over to render aid.
“It’s very difficult playing that scenery in my head. I wasn’t the same person I was when I woke up that morning. I was really struggling. Did I really just see that accident happen?” Kanehailua said. “I just hope and pray that these lawmakers and politicians do the right thing to prevent another loss like this from happening. It’s not going to bring Sara back, but at least it will help another family and prevent this loss from happening again.”
Within a month of Yara’s death, the state Department of Transportation installed speed humps and a red light camera on Kamakee. Three months later, additional speed humps were installed near the entrance to McKinley High School on Pensacola Street. The Honolulu Department of Transportation Services also collaborated with the state on a traffic survey to gauge the potential of installing a left turn signal on Kamakee Street.
“We’ve been working on this since the time the accident occurred,” Sen. Sharon Moriwaki (D, Waikiki-Ala Moana-Kakaako) said. “It’s important for our whole community to know that we’re all behind driving safely. I think we take it for granted that everybody is driving safely, and then we see these accidents.”
House Speaker Scott Saiki (D, Ala Moana-Kakaako- Downtown) also worked with the Honolulu prosecutor’s office to discuss procedural changes intended to curb unrestricted driving privileges for habitual offenders. Historically, the prosecutor’s office did not prosecute repeat Driving Without a License offenders, and instead just charged monetary fines.
“We’re taking a tougher stance on all of those repeat offenders, people that continue to drive without licenses or drive without insurance,” First Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tom Brady said. “We’re going to get tougher on that, and we’re going to ask the courts in the appropriate cases to impose jail time.”
Additionally, two proposed House bills will, if passed this legislative session, further penalize DWOL offenders. House Bill 1562 would add the forfeiture of a vehicle as a maximum penalty for the third conviction of a DWOL offense within five years. HB 2526 would increase the penalty for a third DWOL offense to a Class C felony.
“The area legislators are working very, very hard to make sure that our laws are strengthened to prevent this kind of accident from reoccurring,” Saiki said.
Moriwaki said that in addition to passing new bills, enforcement of the measures is necessary to ensure road safety.
“There’s a real connection between the bills that are passed and enforcement, so we want to work with the Police Department and with the Transportation Department to make sure that the laws we pass will in fact be enforced,” Moriwaki said. “We’re trying to work together, everybody holding hands, to make this place safer.”
A year after the accident, Borce said that her motivation to work towards meaningful change has only grown as time has passed.
“It just made my motor run more because I’m trying to make a difference in the community. We’ll never forget Sara,” Borce said. “It’s heartfelt sadness for me every single day, not having my daughter there, but she wouldn’t want us to cry over her every single day. She wants us to fight for her.”
