Excessive speeding, reckless driving continue to endanger lives on Big Island roadways

Just a day after a tragic fatal crash last week that resulted in the deaths of a 47-year-old Kona woman and 3-week-old infant on Daniel K. Inouye Highway, seven drivers were cited or arrested for excessive speeding on the highway.

Seven motorists. The day after an infant was critically injured and would later die from the injuries she received in a collision on the same highway.

Preliminary investigation suggests the vehicle thought to have caused the crash Oct. 23 was traveling at a very high speed, passing unsafely and with an impaired driver behind its wheel.

One of the seven drivers taken into custody the day after, police said alarmingly, was arrested after being clocked driving more than 100 mph on the highway. Another was arrested for driving more than 81 mph on the roadway and under the influence of an intoxicant.

Again, just a day after the fatal crash happened.

Hawai’i Island police report a significant majority of excessive speed citations and arrests this year have occurred along Daniel K. Inouye Highway, underscoring the ongoing danger associated with speeding and reckless behavior on the roadway.

Island law enforcement is urging all motorists to drive responsibly following a recent increase in reports and incidents involving reckless and dangerous driving on Big Island roadways.

Officers observed a rise in behaviors such as excessive speeding, illegal passing and tailgating, all of which pose serious threat to public safety. These actions endanger not only the drivers involved, but the passengers, pedestrians and other innocent road users.

Officers as of this month have issued more than 9,200 speeding citations compared with 9,088 issued in all of 2024.

Despite ongoing enforcement efforts, Hawai‘i Island police continue to see alarming numbers of drivers operating at dangerous and unlawful speeds despite ongoing enforcement efforts.

Year-to-date statistics for 2025 indicate excessive speed remains one of the leading factors contributing to traffic crashes, serious injuries and fatalities on Big Island roadways.

• Excessive speeding (30 mph over the posted limit): 447 citations issued (compared with 512 in 2024).
• Excessive speeding (81 mph and above): 511 citations issued (compared with 548 in 2024).
• Excessive speeds more than 100 mph: 63 total incidents involving citations or criminal arrests.
• Reckless Driving: 112 citations issued in 2025 (compared with 153 in 2024).

Police also caution motorists against illegally driving on the shoulder to pass vehicles, noting it is a $97 moving violation.

If a motorist is caught speeding while driving illegally on a shoulder, they could also face arrest for reckless driving.

With more than 2,433 miles of road on Hawai‘i Island, Interim Hawai’i Police Department Chief Reed Mahuna is urging all motorists to slow down and drive with aloha.

“We will be out on the roadways doing our part to enforce the traffic laws,” said Mahuna in a press release from police. “We would rather have the community join with us and do their part to drive with aloha and care for one another out on our roadways.”

Officers will continue to conduct high-visibility speed enforcement operations — particularly along known high-risk corridors — to protect the lives of all roadway users.

The public is invited to attend a “Healing Our Highways” Traffic Safety Vigil and Remembrance Event from 7 to 11 a.m. Oct. 29 (Wednesday) in West Hawai‘i.

The event will feature simultaneous sign-waving campaigns along Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway from 8 to 9 a.m. followed by a speaking ceremony from 10 to 11 a.m. at West Hawai‘i Civic Center in Kailua-Kona, where Mahuna and representatives from community and state partner organizations will address attendees.