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Families of crash victims sign-wave at courthouse as manslaughter trial to begin

Jury selection in the 3-fatality traffic case is next week

Family members and friends set up three empty chairs for three men who died in a 2015 traffic collision during a sign-waving Tuesday morning on Main Street outside Hoapili Hale, the state courthouse building, in Wailuku. The sign-waving preceded a 2nd Circuit Court hearing in the case of James Walsh, 27, of Pukalani, who has pleaded not guilty to three counts of manslaughter, driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding in connection with the crash June 20, 2015, on what was then Mokulele Highway. The Maui News / LILA FUJIMOTO photo

WAILUKU — About two dozen family members and friends held signs outside the state courthouse Tuesday in remembrance of three men killed in a traffic collision five years ago, as jury selection was set to begin next week in the 2nd Circuit Court trial of a driver charged with manslaughter in the case.

“We’re just hoping to get some kind of justice,” said Misty Oguma, whose father, Eric Oguma, was among the three victims.

The 51-year-old Waiehu resident, 25-year-old Howard Pruse of Waiehu and 27-year-old Tyree Kamaunu of Waihee died after being ejected from the bed of a Dodge pickup truck in the collision at 9:33 p.m. June 20, 2015, on what was then Mokulele Highway and is now Maui Veterans Highway.

The Dodge truck was turning left from the highway into the Maui Raceway Park entrance when it was hit by a white Toyota pickup truck that was traveling north on the highway, police said.

Family members of the victims were joined by friends and Mothers Against Drunk Driving volunteers at the sign-waving, which was held before a court hearing Tuesday for James Walsh, 27, of Pukalani. He has pleaded not guilty to three counts of manslaughter, driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding in connection with the fatal crash.

Twelve-year-old Pohai Kamaunu joins the sign-waving Tuesday morning outside Hoapili Hale in Wailuku. Her uncle Tyree Kamaunu, whose photo is on the right side of her signs, was among three men who died in the collision. The other two photos show Howard Pruse (left) and Eric Oguma (center). Photo provided by Maui Families Against Drunk Driving

Three empty chairs were set up for Eric Oguma, Pruse and Kamaunu as participants held signs along Main Street with messages, such as “Drive With Aloha” and “Be Safe, Don’t Drink and Drive.”

Misty Oguma said the sign-waving also was held “to remind others to drive safely, be conscious.”

She said participants were greeted with honks from passing drivers and “a lot of love and support.”

At the court hearing that began afterward, police officers testified about work done to investigate the crash.

Sgt. Justin Mauliola, then a traffic investigator who was in charge of the on-scene investigation, testified he initially designated the Dodge pickup as the vehicle at fault “based on the investigation just that night.”

“What I was looking at was a failure to yield,” he said.

But he said that changed as the investigation continued and traffic investigators’ discussions led to the Toyota pickup driven by Walsh being designated as the vehicle at fault.

“The investigation is something fluid,” Mauliola said.

He and former traffic investigator Lawrence Becraft testified at the hearing on a defense motion to preclude testimony by Becraft and Mauliola in the trial.

Becraft did tests to calculate the speed of the Toyota pickup truck at 91 mph before it collided into the Dodge pickup, according to a Maui Police Department report on the crash.

According to the report, Walsh’s blood-alcohol level was measured at 0.159 percent, which is nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

At a previous hearing 2nd Circuit Judge Peter Cahill said Walsh’s blood-alcohol content was ruled inadmissible in a trial because of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that a warrant was required to draw blood from someone unless there are exigent circumstances.

On Tuesday, Cahill said he would allow a defense witness to testify at a hearing next week before ruling on defense motions, including the one to exclude the officers’ testimony.

Jury selection in Walsh’s trial is scheduled to start next Tuesday.

* Lila Fujimoto can be reached at lfujimoto@mauinews.com.

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