33 Motorists Arrested Last Week for DUI

During the week of Dec. 27, 2021-Jan. 2, 2022, Big Island police arrested 33 motorists for driving under the influence of an intoxicant.

Six of those drivers were involved in traffic accidents; three were younger than the age of 21 years old.

There were a total of 1,081 DUI arrests throughout 2021 compared with 1,001 during 2020, an increase of 7.9%.

DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue island wide.

Major Traffic Crash Statistics

There were 814 major crashes on Big Island roads during 2021 compared with 777 in 2020. That’s an increase of 4.76% in major traffic accidents.

During 2021, there were 26 fatal crashes, resulting in 26 fatalities, compared with 15 fatal crashes, resulting in 15 fatalities, throughout 2020. This represents an increase of 73.3% for fatal crashes and fatalities. There already has been one fatal crash on the island in 2022 resulting in one death, that of a 9-year-old girl.

That single-vehicle crash happened shortly before 3:30 p.m. New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, on Mauna Kea Access Road. The 9-year-old girl, who was in the back seat of the truck’s cab, was transported to Hilo Medical Center, were she was pronounced dead at 5:03 p.m. that day.

The East Hawaii Traffic Enforcement Unit initiated a negligent homicide investigation. An autopsy was ordered to determine the exact cause of death.