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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, October 1, 2007

POLICE BEAT
California mom booked in fatal Hawaii crash

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

Big Island police yesterday arrested a 28-year-old Carlsbad, Calif., woman on suspicion of first-degree negligent homicide and driving under the influence of an intoxicant in a car crash that killed her 7-year-old son.

The woman was booked and released pending further investigation because she had to be flown to The Queen's Medical Center with serious injuries, police said.

She was listed in fair condition at 8:15 p.m. at Queen's.

Police identified the 7-year-old boy as Razak Meyer of Carlsbad.

Two other children, a boy, 4, and girl, 6, were treated for minor injuries at North Hawai'i Community Hospital and released.

Traffic enforcement supervising investigator Sgt. Christopher Gali said the woman was driving westbound on Kohala Ranch Road in a Pontiac G6 four-door sedan when she lost control of the car and ran off the right side of the roadway.

The car plunged about 80 feet and overturned, according to police.

The boy was pronounced dead at 11:20 a.m. Police said he was in the front seat. He and his mother were wearing seat belts while the children in back were in a child restraint seat and booster seat, police said.

The 10:26 a.m. crash on Kohala Ranch Road, 1.8 miles east of Akoni Pule Highway, is not counted toward the Big Island traffic fatality count because it occurred on private property, police said.

In another Big Island fatality yesterday, a 97-year-old pedestrian was killed on Hawai'i Belt Road in Pepe'ekeo.

Police said Tadashi Yamashita of Pepe'ekeo was crossing the road when he was hit by a van.

Police said Yamashita was struck at 2:09 p.m. by a 2002 Mazda MPV van driven by a 23-year-old Hilo woman.

It appears Yamashita was not in a crosswalk, police said.

Speed, alcohol or drugs on the part of the driver are not believed to be factors, police said.

Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.