A Hilo grand jury has indicted a 20-year-old Keaau man for a one-car collision last year that killed an 18-year-old passenger.
The indictment, returned Wednesday, charges Eric-John Semana with first-degree negligent homicide for the Feb. 13, 2016, death of Albert Gonsalves of Keaau.
According to police, Semana was driving a 2011 Toyota four-door sedan north on Volcano Highway (Highway 11) when he crossed the centerline, ran off the road and hit a utility pole and fence near the highway’s 9-mile marker, just north of the Hilo Korean Christian Church in Keaau.
The collision, which occurred shortly before 4 a.m. on a Saturday, also hospitalized two other passengers, both 18. One was flown to The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu; the other went into surgery at Hilo Medical Center.
Gonsalves was pronounced dead at 7:08 a.m. that morning.
Semana, who was 18 at the time, suffered “non-incapacitating” injuries, according to a police log. Police said he was admitted to Hilo Medical Center with internal injuries.
None of the car’s four occupants was wearing seat belts.
Deputy Prosecutor Jefferson Malate said Friday drug tests found MDMA, commonly known as “ecstasy,” and THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, in Semana’s system.
Police also think speed was a factor in the crash.
Court records indicate Semana has a history of traffic infractions.
He was ticketed on Jan. 10, 2016, for going 68 mph in a 45 mph zone and paid a $182 ticket. On Jan. 22, 2016, he was clocked driving 60 mph in a 45 mph zone. According to records, he still owes $142 for that citation and a driver’s license stopper is active on that case.
On Dec. 9, 2016, Semana was cited for not wearing a seat belt and paid a $44 ticket.
And on Sept. 28, 2017, he was ticketed for running a stop sign. Records indicate a $97 fine remains unpaid.
First-degree negligent homicide is a Class B felony punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment upon conviction.
A judge issued a bench warrant for Semana’s arrest and set his bail at $10,000.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
