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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, April 4, 2002

Waimanalo man charged in fatal automobile crash

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Staff Writer

Fifteen months after Lorrie-Ann Wiley of Waimanalo was killed in a head-on collision, an O'ahu grand jury yesterday indicted Kam K. Williams on a charge of manslaughter in the Jan. 2, 2001, crash.

At the time of the collision, Williams' license was suspended for a prior drunken-driving conviction, and police have said that Williams tested above the legal blood-alcohol limit in the hours after the crash in Waimanalo.

The Wiley case nearly unraveled earlier this year when prosecutors said there wasn't sufficient evidence or a witness who could place Williams behind the wheel of the other car at the time of the collision.

Williams' car had been destroyed, and the eyewitnesses interviewed said they saw Williams outside the car.

But the police investigation was renewed following a story in The Advertiser, leading to a new eyewitness and, ultimately, the indictment.

Nora Garrod, city deputy prosecutor, said yesterday that the previous DUI and three convictions for driving without a license led her office to seek the more serious charge of manslaughter, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, rather than negligent homicide. That charge, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years, is more common in such cases.

City Prosecutor Peter Carlisle said his office is looking more intently at a person's past when determining which charge to pursue.

"We are going to consider prior alcohol-related offenses, which could be like an (Clyde) Arakawa breaking into a house when you're stuporously drunk or a prior DUI and having that raise the bar from negligent homicide ... to manslaughter," Carlisle said.

In February, Arakawa, a former police officer, was found guilty of manslaughter in an Oct. 7, 2000, collision that killed 19-year-old Dana Ambrose. Testimony showed that Arakawa had been drinking before the accident.

Carlisle has said a critical piece of evidence was Arakawa's 1992 conviction for trespassing after he was found asleep — or passed out — on the floor of a stranger's house in Kailua after a night of drinking.

"It sends out a very, very strong warning signal to anybody who has prior drunk driving or prior alcohol-related offenses that if they go out, they drink, they drive, they kill, they could be looking at 20 years in jail," Carlisle said.

Bail for Williams, 20, of Waimanalo, was set at $100,000 and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. He could not be reached for comment.

The indictment is "real good news," said Wiley's husband, David. "I was always cautiously optimistic, but it's looking good now."

Wiley, 32, died at the scene of the crash, near the entrance to Olomana Golf Links at about 5:25 a.m. She was heading to work at Hickam Air Force Base, where she served in the Air National Guard. Williams was taken to Castle Medical Center in critical condition. He was released four days later.

Four months before the crash, Williams was arrested on a drunken-driving charge and for driving without a license. According to court records, he was convicted Nov. 11 and fined $225, had his license suspended for 90 days and was to get an alcohol assessment.

Last month Williams failed to show up for a court appearance in which he was to show that he was complying with the conditions of his sentence. The judge issued a warrant and set his bail at $500.

Wiley's family has filed a civil suit against Williams for her death, and that case is still pending.

Besides her husband, Wiley is survived by her mother, a 6-year-old daughter and a brother.

Advertiser staff writer David Waite contributed to this report.

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.