KAILUA-KONA — A 23-year-old Keaau man pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in connection with a moped crash in 2015 that resulted in a Kailua-Kona woman’s death.
James Kapela Willis was indicted April 4 by a Kona grand jury on one count of first-degree negligent homicide and one count of second-degree negligent homicide, both with the same victim, Mokihana Choy.
Willis pleaded not guilty to both charges in April. Willis changed his plea in June. He pleaded guilty to second-degree negligent homicide, a class C felony.
In October, the court sentenced Willis to an indeterminate period of five years, which he is serving. The first-degree negligent homicide charge was dismissed with prejudice at the prosecution’s request. The state could only convict Willis of either first- or second- degree negligent homicide, not both.
The charge stemmed from an incident that occurred May 26, 2015.
Choy, 29, was a passenger on a moped operated by Willis.
Police said Willis was merging onto the southbound lane of Queen Kaahumanu Highway from Hualalai Road when he pulled the vehicle onto the road between a dump truck and the trailer it was towing. The trailer then ran over the moped.
Neither rider was wearing a helmet.
Willis, then 21 and living in Kailua-Kona, and Choy were taken to Kona Community Hospital.
Choy had critical head injuries and was later flown to The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu, where she died May 27.
Willis sustained only minor injuries.
The dump truck driver was not injured.
Email Tiffany DeMasters at tdemasters@westhawaiitoday.com.