Police have turned the case over to prosecutors. Jim Fulton, spokesman for the Honolulu prosecutor's office, today declined to comment on the status of the case.

The death of 21-year-old Theron "Keoki" Nicodemus, 21, attracted attention because of community tips that aided the investigation of the accident March 7, 2001.

The victim's relatives also went public to discuss their decision to donate Nicodemus' organs, honoring a wish he had expressed earlier.

The accident occurred at 12:45 a.m. when Nicodemus, who was cycling home on Fort Weaver Road, was hit from behind by a van that then fled the scene.

The van later turned up at a Mapunapuna auto repair shop. Police had issued an alert for a damaged van. The owner of El's Autobody and Paint notified police after noticing that a van brought into the shop had front-end damage and a deployed air bag.

Police seized the vehicle, which led them to the registered owner. The owner told police he didn't have the van at the time of the accident.

However, the probe then led to one of his employees, who was booked for investigation for negligent homicide and failure to render aid. He was released pending investigation but turned himself in to police again this week.

Nicodemus, whose girlfriend was pregnant with his son, worked at a warehouse in Mapunapuna. He had visited a friend in Pearl City after work and was on his way home when he was hit by the van, less than a mile from St. Francis Medical Center-West.