Police identified a 74-year-old woman killed Christmas Eve in a head-on collision on Daniel K. Inouye Highway as Dr. Judith “Judy” Fitzgerald, a respected and beloved emergency room and urgent care physician at Hilo Benioff Medical Center.
Known as “Fitz” and “Dr. Fitz,” Fitzgerald lived in Kailua-Kona and made the cross-island drive to work in Hilo for more than two decades — starting prior to the construction of the DKI to replace the antiquated Saddle Road — without incident, according to Lisa Rantz, executive director of HBMC Foundation.
“Fitz was the best of us, she worked every holiday so that others could be home with their families,” Rantz said on Facebook. “Fitz will be deeply missed across Hawaii Island and beyond. Her impact and passion for caring for our community will live on through her colleagues who will continue her legacy of care.”
According to police, a Hilo-bound 2020 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck driven by 34-year-old Caitlin Smith of Hilo crossed the center line of the highway near the 13-mile marker in Hilo and struck Fitzgerald’s Kona-bound 2025 Mazda two-door convertible head on shortly before 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Fitzgerald was unresponsive at the scene and taken to HBMC, where she was pronounced dead at 7:59 p.m.
Smith, who sustained minor injuries, was treated and released at HBMC. She was arrested on suspicion of first-degree negligent homicide, reckless driving and DUI, but was released Thursday evening without being charged pending further investigation.
Court records indicate that Smith has a relatively lengthy history of speeding infractions.
She was convicted after being clocked driving 77 mph in a 60 mph zone on the DKI on Feb. 7, 2023. She was also cited for driving 65 mph in a 45 mph zone on Sept. 30, 2018, and 64 mph in a 45 mph zone on Dec. 17, 2022. In addition, she has a conviction on the charge of excessive speeding for driving 95 mph in a 55 mph zone on Aug. 18, 2020. She was fined $500 with an additional assessment of $147 in fees, sentenced to 36 hours of community service — and her driver’s license was suspended for 30 days.
News of the loss of Fitzgerald — a 1990 graduate of the Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. — spread quickly via Facebook with dozens of colleagues and others in the community sharing their shock and grief.
“She was the best of us,” said Dr. Lyric Santiago, a urologist. “A kind, committed, compassionate doctor. She always had a smile and a kind word. She was loved by the whole medical staff at Hilo Benioff. The loss to our community it immeasurable. Rest now, know you are loved.”
Christopher Gali, a retired Hawaii Police Department sergeant who headed the East Hawaii Traffic Enforcement Unit, said it was “sad to know that she had to be pronounced (dead) by one of her colleagues.”
“She would do the pronouncements of our traffic fatality victims and also help us with the family members,” Gali posted. “Dr. Fitzgerald, thank you for all that you did and I pray for your eternal peace! Your colleagues have the watch from here!”
Pathologist Dr. Stephen Smith, the medical director of HBMC’s laboratory, said that on a beautiful Christmas Day “there was a dark shadow over the island” for many.
“Words can’t express the depth of loss to our community,” Smith wrote. “You would be hard pressed to find a more dedicated, caring and invested person in healthcare anywhere. … Also a dear friend who appreciated good music.
“Leaves us with a caldera-sized puka, but with memories of someone who would gracefully figure out how, and endeavor to, fill it up again and still somehow find a smile.”
Calling Fitzgerald’s death “heartbreaking and truly shocking,” Kellye McCollister Egan said she worked alongside Fitzgerald for more than a decade in the Emergency Department and “learned something from her every shift.”
“Dr. Fitz was a legend; brilliant, compassionate, funny, quirky and so passionate about being a physician and caring for the community,” she said. She added Fitzgerald generously paid for a scuba diving trip for her and a friend.
“She was a wonderful person and will be missed by so many.”
Physician Assistant Brian Wolter described Fitzgerald’s presence as “the benchmark of care” and “the reason to be a better provider every day.”
“I will miss my unicorn …,” he said. “I will miss my teacher. My fearless leader that never backed down. I will miss you, my friend.”
Dr. Kathleen Katt, HBMC’s chief medical officer, expressed “profound sadness,” and described Fitzgerald, a longtime Emergency Department colleague, as “a dear, irreplaceable friend.”
“Dr. Fitzgerald was a long-time emergency physician and physician leader whose impact on our organization and our region cannot be overstated. From Keaau to Hilo Benioff Medical Center, this loss is deeply felt. … Her commitment to excellence, education, and patient care left a lasting legacy that will continue to influence our work and our mission.
“Our hearts are with Dr. Fitzgerald’s family, friends, colleagues, and all those who had the privilege of working alongside her. We extend our deepest sympathies and ask that our community keep her loved ones—and one another—in their thoughts and prayers as we grieve this tremendous loss.”
Dan Brinkman, HMBC’s CEO concluded, “One of our HBMC family has passed. We are all sad. Our sincere condolences to her family and friends. She will be missed.”
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
