Driver in Fatal Crash To Serve Two Years in Prison

The driver of a truck in a fatal crash last year in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has been sentenced to two years in federal prison.

Julien Quiocho of Hilo was driving north on Highway 11 on June 12, 2011 when he crashed his Toyota truck into a lava field near the 35-mile marker. Both Quiocho, then 19 years old, and his passenger, 20-year-old Bryan Areola, were ejected from the vehicle.

Areola sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead upon arrival at Hilo Medical Center.

Quiocho sustained severe head and spinal injuries and was transported to Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu. A blood test revealed he had a blood alcohol content of 0.13, a park spokeswoman said.

She said the two men were seen involved in a race at the park’s southern boundary just before the crash.

As part of a plea agreement, Quiocho pleaded guilty in June to negligent homicide in US District Court in Honolulu. Judge David Alan Ezra today handed down the prison sentence and ordered Quiocho to pay $7,000 in funeral expenses.

After his release from prison he will be under supervisory release for three years and must perform 300 hours of community service.