Phoenix police arrested Brittney Mooney last week and were holding her Monday in Arizona for extradition to Maui to face negligent manslaughter charges arising from the death of an 8-year-old Texas boy more than two years ago.
Will Smith of San Antonio died on a Maui Memorial Medical Center operating table on June 3, 2007, hours after the rental car he was riding in was hit head-on near Ukumehame Wayside Park by a 2003 Mazda sedan driven by Mooney.
The force of the crash broke the Mazda in half, but Mooney, then a Lahaina resident, was not injured. Smith's mother, Susan Moulton, also was able to walk away from the collision. Smith, who was wearing a seat belt, was in the front passenger seat of Moulton's rented Chevrolet Malibu. He suffered fatal internal injuries.
Maui police Lt. Wallace Tom confirmed Monday that officers with the Phoenix Police Department arrested Mooney last week.
Mooney, 26, was being held on a 2nd Circuit Court warrant for second-degree negligent manslaughter, Tom said. Her extradition hearing is scheduled for Sept. 9.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Carson Tani said Maui prosecutors learned of Mooney's arrest on Friday. She was being held on a $40,000 warrant, he said.
Mooney can waive extradition and be brought back to Maui or she could fight extradition, Tani said. If she opposes extradition, Maui prosecutors would need to work with Arizona authorities to have Mooney returned to the island.
Contacted by phone Monday in San Antonio, Moulton said she learned of Mooney's arrest late last week in a voice mail message from the Maui County prosecutor's office.
"I've waited so long for this," she said. "Nothing's going to bring Will back. Nothing's going to bring closure, but a sense of peace would be great."
Moulton, a part-time Kaanapali resident, reiterated she's not seeking retribution, but she did indicate Mooney should face the consequences of her actions on Maui. She said Mooney's reckless driving on the day of the accident showed the woman was troubled.
"It really is my hope that it will help turn her life around, make her life better," Moulton said. "I'm hoping maybe she'll have opportunities to make her life better when she gets out."
Minutes before the crash at Ukumehame, police had received reports of Mooney driving dangerously in the pali area and elsewhere. At Ukumehame, Mooney was heading toward Lahaina when she overtook a vehicle, veered off the roadway onto the dirt shoulder of the mauka side of the highway, returned to the highway and crossed into oncoming traffic, hitting the car driven by Moulton.
Moulton said she plans to return to Maui and spend more time here.
"I find more peace on Maui," she said.
Moulton has established the Will Smith Foundation to honor her son's memory and to raise money for children's charities. She also has filed a negligence lawsuit against Mooney. Court records showed Mooney was served with papers in the civil case.
* Brian Perry can be reached at citydesk@mauinews.com.
