HONOLULU, HI – A driver involved in a fatal car accident in Honolulu in August 2021 has been sentenced to prison, Hawaii News Now reports.
25-year-old Klarissa Lopez pleaded no contest to charges of negligent homicide in the first degree and negligent injury in the first degree. She was ordered to serve 10 years behind bars.
The crash happened in August 2021 on the H-1 Freeway near the Queen Emma overpass. Lopez crashed into a stopped Honolulu Police Department vehicle and then collided with the center median. A passenger in her car, 37-year-old Ronald Garcia-Alarcon, was pronounced dead at the scene. Garcia-Alarcon’s girlfriend was seriously injured. The police officer, who had been helping a motorist, was outside his vehicle and was not injured.
City Prosecutor Steve Alm said Lopez was behind the wheel after drinking at a bar and was looking at her phone at the time of the wreck.
“If you’ve been drinking, please catch a cab, take advantage of a ride-share service, or call a friend. But don’t get behind the wheel,” Alm said. “The consequences can be terrible. Someone can be badly hurt or killed and you may go to prison.”
Each year, pedestrians suffer severe and sometimes fatal injuries in accidents caused by drivers who are distracted, intoxicated, driving aggressively, or are otherwise negligent. If this has happened to you and you suffered serious injuries, you may have the right to take legal action with a Hawaii pedestrian accident attorney at the Recovery Law Center and hold the responsible party accountable for the harm they’ve caused you. To schedule a free consultation regarding your case, call us at (808) 427-3088 or complete our contact form.
