John Szemkow, who was convicted of causing a crash in Kunia three years ago that killed four farm workers and injured eight others, has been granted parole, the state Paroling Authority confirmed today.

Szemkow was sentenced to 10 years for knowingly leaving the scene of an accident and could be released in the next two or three weeks, according to the Paroling Authority.
Earlier this month Szemkow, 49, completed a one-year jail sentence for third degree negligent homicide relating to that crash.
Szemkow, who suffers from numerous serious disabilities, has been confined at the Halawa Correctional Facility infirmary since he was sentenced on Aug. 6, 2008.
Szemkow's case never went to trial. He pleaded no contest to the charges of leaving the scene of an accident and negligent homicide In April 2008. At the time he said he was doing so in order to spare the families of the victims the ordeal of a long trial.
At a Feb. 10 parole hearing the three-member panel expressed doubts that Szemkow knowingly left the scene of the accident, based on police report and witness statements given shortly after the accident.
“We need to be sure we have the right guy in prison,” Paroling Authority Chairman Albert Tufono said at that time.