A 20-year-old Kailua-Kona man who already faces a manslaughter charge for a fatal collision in 2022 was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of driving under the influence.
According to Hawaii Police Department spokeswoman Denise Laitinen, Trevor Shoemaker-Hassey was taken into custody at 11:08 p.m. Wednesday on Queen Kaahuanu Highway just north of Nani Kailua Drive.
Shoemaker-Hassey also was booked on suspicion of driving with a suspended license and without insurance.
“The officer observed the vehicle directly in front of him veer to the west toward the outer shoulder, crossing the solid white line with both the front and rear passenger tire until the line was in the middle of the vehicle,” Laitinen said.
Shoemaker-Hassey was released from police custody at 1:27 a.m. Thursday without the charges he was booked for being filed, pending further investigation.
Shoemaker-Hassey is free on $75,000 bail after being indicted on March 21 by a Kona grand jury on charges of manslaughter, first-degree negligent homicide, DUI, DUI under 21, reckless driving, second-degree reckless endangering, harassment and promoting intoxicating compounds.
The charges stem from a two-car collision on July 14, 2022, at the intersection of Mamalahoa Highway (Highway 190) and Akina Place in North Kona that killed 63-year-old Rhonda Dee Freedman of Kailua-Kona.
According to police, officers responding to a 9:18 p.m. call that evening determined that a white 2019 Nissan Rogue driven by Shoemaker-Hassey was southbound on Mamalahoa Highway when he crossed over the double-solid yellow lines and struck Freedman’s white 2018 Nissan Versa head-on.
Freedman was taken to Kona Community Hospital, where she died at 10:51 p.m.
Shoemaker-Hassey and his 17-year-old female passenger weren’t injured in the collision.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges March 23, and Third Circuit Chief Judge Robert Kim ordered Shoemaker-Hassey to appear for trial in Kona on Aug. 15.
Kim ruled that the Office of the Public Defender is incapable of handling Shoemaker-Hassey’s case based on staffing shortages and the severity of the charges.
Shoemaker-Hassey is now represented by Kona attorney Andrew Kennedy.
In addition, a penal summons complaint was issued May 19 for Shoemaker-Hassey for driving under the influence of drugs on Dec. 1, 2022, according to court records.
That penal summons has yet to be served, but Shoemaker-Hassey is scheduled for an arraignment and plea in that case at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 24 at Kona District Court.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
