Department of Public Safety Public Information Officer Fred Sato and Highway Patrol Sgt. Adrian Mendiola at a press conference on Friday.
THE Department of Public Safety has located the vehicle and driver involved in the Sept. 1 hit-and-run crash in front of BankPacific, officials announced Friday morning.
DPS Public Information Officer Fred Sato said the vehicle was found in Koblerville and has been impounded.
“The vehicle had damage consistent with the impact involving the pedestrian,” Sato said. “The vehicle has been … secured as evidence.”
Sato identified the driver as a 73-year-old man but did not release his name.
The vehicle was identified after DPS released new video footage Thursday showing an older, dark-colored Toyota Camry with a light-colored fender traveling along Alaihai Avenue. The footage captured the driver briefly stopping at an apartment complex behind the Horiguchi building to drop off a female passenger before continuing south.
The incident left a 36-year-old pedestrian injured.
Highway Patrol Sgt. Adrian Mendiola said the vehicle is a two-toned 1997 Toyota Camry. It was registered and insured, he added.
“We’re still [completing] the investigation,” Mendiola said. “We do have the vehicle; we do have the suspect, but he was not arrested.”
Mendiola said the vehicle was located with assistance from the community and media.
“We’re still looking for the passenger,” he added. “The driver has been questioned but not arrested. He was cooperative; he voluntarily came down to the police station and provided his statements.”
Possible charges include hit-and-run, fleeing the scene of an accident, and failure to report a traffic incident.
“We were very fortunate to get more video footage, and we were able to track and positively identify the vehicle,” Mendiola said. “We don’t want to be premature about the charges — we want to make sure the facts are correct.”
He emphasized the role of surveillance and public assistance in the investigation.
“There’s really no running when we have CCTVs, the media, and the community helping us out,” Mendiola said. “It is a big help on our end. We’re here to set the facts straight. We try to give information as much as we can — not to mislead the case and to protect the integrity of the investigation.”
Mendiola said the charges under consideration include both felony and misdemeanor counts.
Sato added, “Video footage like this helps with investigations into cases, whether criminal or traffic. The more evidence we can gather, the better for investigators to build their cases. Having you share the footage — this is one of those cases that helped investigators find the responsible vehicle and driver.”
As for the victim, Mendiola said, “The victim is recovering. He was unconscious at the scene and later regained consciousness.”
