LIHU‘E — With speeds exceeding 70 miles per hour through Lihu‘e and Wailua, Kaua‘i Police Department officers had to use a spike strip to stop the progress of a Kapa‘a man in a silver Honda sport-utility vehicle early Monday morning.
LIHU‘E — With speeds exceeding 70 miles per hour through Lihu‘e and Wailua, Kaua‘i Police Department officers had to use a spike strip to stop the progress of a Kapa‘a man in a silver Honda sport-utility vehicle early Monday morning.
Timothy Geis, 37, of Kapa‘a, was arrested and charged with driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicant, reckless driving, resisting an order to stop his vehicle, driving without a valid license, running a stop sign and a red light, and excessive speeding, a county news release states.
According to the KPD preliminary report, officer Shane Sokei deployed the spike strip, brand name Stop Sticks, and blew out at least two tires on Geis’ vehicle.
Also damaged were tires on a KPD cruiser in pursuit and two tires of a fellow motorist, according to the anonymous Wailua driver whose vehicle was damaged.
Geis posted $1,250 bail and was released, according to the release.
Officer Joseph Himongala was conducting speed enforcement on Rice Street around 1:30 a.m. Monday when Geis headed westbound on Rice Street traveling at a high rate of speed, the release states.
“Himongala attempted to stop the Honda, which increased its speed and drove through the red light at the Hardy/Rice intersection,” said a release from Lt. Sherwin Kaleo Perez, Lihu‘e district commander of the Patrol Services Bureau.
“The operator of the Honda ignored the lights and siren of the police vehicle, made a right turn onto ‘Umi Street and sped through the ‘Umi/Hardy intersection without stopping at the stop sign, traveling northbound,” Perez said.
“The officer terminated the pursuit at that point because of the risks to the residents on ‘Umi Street,” he said.
“But the officer then saw the suspect vehicle coming back onto ‘Umi Street southbound, and then turned right on Hardy Street, and right on Kuhio Highway, northbound. The suspect vehicle ignored the police lights and siren, and continued traveling at a high rate of speed towards Hanama‘ulu,” Perez said.
“Speeds were estimated in excess of 70 mph at the Kuhio/Laulima junction in Hanama‘ulu. At the Kuhio/Kapule junction, officer Gilbert Asuncion joined the pursuit as the lead vehicle traveling northbound on Kuhio Highway,” said Perez.
“Officer Shane Sokei set up Stop Sticks at the north end of the Wailua (River) bridge. The suspect vehicle was successfully disabled by the Stop Sticks. There were no further damages to the suspect vehicle other than two of its tires being punctured by the Stop Sticks,” said Perez.
• Paul C. Curtis, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or pcurtis@kauaipubco.com.
