LIHUE — Kauai police are continuing to investigate the death of 24-year-old Florentino Maipi, of Eleele, who was killed while walking on Halewili Road in Kalaheo last week. Investigators are asking the public for assistance.
“Although the driver of the vehicle that first struck Maipi has been tentatively identified, we believe there could be at least two other vehicles that may have inadvertently struck the decedent after the initial impact,” said Acting Assistant Chief Paul Applegate. “If anyone was traveling on Halewili Road that night and may have seen or heard anything – no matter how insignificant it may seem – please report it to police immediately.”
David Curry, 44, was arrested last week in connection with the incident.
Curry turned himself in at the Lihue police station last Tuesday and said he could have been the driver involved in the accident.
He is the co-owner and general manager of Kauai Island Brewery and Grill in Eleele.
He was later charged with suspicion of being involved in an accident involving serious bodily injury or death, and has since been released pending further investigation, according to the KPD.
Curry, contacted by TGI by phone, declined to comment for this story pending an investigation into the accident, but did identify himself Monday as the individual involved.
Just after 11 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30, a police officer was driving home from work when he discovered a man’s body on Halewili Road. According to the preliminary investigation, Maipi was walking in the eastbound lane when he was struck by an eastbound vehicle.
Maipi was taken to Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Following the discovery of Maipi’s body, police initiated a search for the driver of the vehicle and asked the public for help.
Based on the debris from they collected from the crash site, investigators were able to narrow the description of the alleged vehicle as a silver Nissan Frontier truck with four-wheel drive, made between the years of 1998 and 2004.
After Curry turned himself in, police recovered his vehicle, a 2004 silver Nissan Frontier with four-wheel drive, from his residence and arrested him Thursday.
An autopsy to determine Maipi’s cause of death is pending.
Police are asking for information from drivers who were traveling eastbound on Halewili Road on Sept. 30, between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m., in the vicinity of the concrete Wahiawa Bridge located between the west junction of Halewili Road and Kaumualii Highway, and Kauai Coffee Company.
Anyone with information is urged to call KPD’s Traffic Safety Section at 241-1617. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call CrimeStoppers at 246-8300.
