Condolences are pouring in via social media for two women killed early Saturday evening in a three-vehicle traffic collision in Hilo.
According to police, 42-year-old Aja-Ly “Aja” Iopa of Hilo and 43-year-old Sencirea Cabral of Kurtistown died after a southbound 2007 Honda Accord driven by Iopa on Kanoelehua Avenue, with Cabral as the front-seat passenger, veered across the grassy center median near Piilani Street into oncoming northbound traffic.
The Honda clipped the rear end of a 2016 Acura sedan before being broadsided by a 2019 Subaru Forester. Neither of those drivers, a 20-year-old Hilo woman in the Acura or a 19-year-old woman in the Subaru, reported being injured.
The Subaru sustained major damage and wasn’t operable, and the Acura sustained only minor damage.
Iopa, who was associated with the Koa Puna motorcycle club, was known for her trademark sunglasses, and both women were mothers, social media posts indicated.
“(Rest in love) Sen &Aja … may your children and loved ones be comforted in the days ahead with warm memories of your lives,” Tiare Perreira posted on the Big Island Thieves Facebook page.
Sue Toilolo Cabral posted that Sen Cabral was her oldest daughter and asked that people “please keep the words nice” since she “didn’t make it.”
“My 6-year-old granddaughter had minor injuries,” she posted. Police didn’t mention any other passengers in their media release about the fatal crash.
Tiare Otis Emch posted on the Facebook pages of both of the crash victims.
I can’t believe I just talked to u on Thursday and u told me thanks for the smiles,” Emch wrote on Iopa’s page. “Rest in love my friend condolences to the family of this beautiful soul she will be missed by alot of people fly high and watch over all of us till we meet again save me a spot up there.”
On Cabral’s page, Emch posted, “Still cant believe this is happening, im still in disbelief. love you forever aunty Sen Cabral. I wish I could hug you one last time.”
Autopsies have been ordered for both women to determine an official cause of death. Police think speed and not using seat belts are the primary factors in the crash.
Iopa’s and Cabral’s deaths are the 10th and 11th traffic fatalities on the Big Island this year, compared to five at this time last year. They also were the third and fourth fatalities in a week.
A three-vehicle collision March 16 near the 25-mile marker of the Daniel K. Inouye Highway killed 80-year-old Diane Pittman of Keauhou and injured the three drivers, all men, ages 69, 65 and 85.
Police believe speed and reckless driving were the causes of that collision.
And on Thursday, 46-year-old Steven Jonathan of Hilo was killed and a 63-year-old Hilo man sustained what police called “substantial injuries” in a one-car crash near the 18-mile marker of DKI.
According to police, a Hilo-bound SUV driven by 31-year-old Marvin Neth from Pahoa careened out of control and overturned while trying to overtake another vehicle on a wet roadway late at night.
Hawaii Police Department spokeswoman Denise Laitinen said in a Monday email Neth was charged with negligent homicide, negligent injury, DUI, reckless driving and driving without insurance.
“It all comes down to the same thing,” said Maj. Scott Amaral of HPD’s East Hawaii Field Operations Bureau. “We have posted speed limits for a reason. And if people followed the speed limit and drove in a sensible manner, we wouldn’t be having as many fatalities as we’ve been having.
“In one week, this many fatalities — I can’t remember that in a long time. Two on DKI and two on Kanoelehua. These are our family members and friends, and it’s very concerning.”
Amaral noted that while accidents occur on Kanoelehua, it’s rare for a vehicle to cross the median strip into oncoming traffic.
“My concern is that people seem to be in a rush,” he said. “Everybody seems to be in a rush to get somewhere. Traveling above the speed limit doesn’t really get you anywhere any faster. And you put more people at risk by doing so.
“We will continue our sobriety checkpoints; we will continue our enforcement. We don’t want anyone to get hurt on our roadways. We’re increasing our enforcement islandwide.
“People need to drive responsibly, drive within the speed limit, and drive sober.”
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.