KAPA‘A — A 33-year-old man was arrested in connection with an alleged hit-and-run on Sunday, March 26, that killed a Kapa‘a resident.
Brandon Vitovitz was arrested on Thursday morning. He faces charges of negligent homicide in the first degree, accidents involving death, inattention to driving, and driving without a license, the Kaua‘i Police Department said.
Vitovitz is being held on $250,000 bail at the Kaua‘i Police Department Cell Block.
The hit-and-run, which happened on Kukui Street shortly before 9:45 p.m. on Sunday, claimed the life of David Evans, 64.
“According to a preliminary report, a lifted dark-colored Toyota Tacoma turned left from Kuhio Highway onto Kukui Street and struck a pedestrian who was crossing Kukui Street on a marked crosswalk,” the Kaua‘i Police Department said in a statement.
“The pedestrian, identified as David Evans, was treated on-scene before being transported to Wilcox Medical Center (in Lihu‘e) in critical condition, where he later died. The driver of the truck fled the scene.”
The traffic crash closed Kukui Street, in both directions, for approximately 90 minutes while the police department’s Traffic Safety Section conducted an on-scene investigation.
The incident marked the second time in 10 days that a hit-and-run happened on the island of Kaua‘i.
A Kapa‘a man was arrested for an alleged hit-and-run on March 17 that resulted in a bicyclist suffering critical injuries.
Kib Hoopii, 45, was taken into custody a short while after the Toyota Tundra pickup he was driving rear-ended a bicyclist that was traveling westbound on the shoulder of Kaumuali‘i Highway in the vicinity of Maluhia Road. The bicyclist was identified as a 65-year-old Lithuanian woman.
Hoopii allegedly fled the scene of the crash, which happened at about 1:30 p.m. on March 17, prior to the arrival of first responders.
“Upon arrival, responding firefighters from the Kalaheo fire station found the bicyclist, who was wearing a helmet, with severe injuries to her leg and injuries to her head,” the Kauai Police Department said in a statement.
The woman was treated on-scene before being transported to Wilcos Medical Center, and then later medevaced to Oahu. She was listed in critical condition at the time.
Witnesses to the crash described the truck involved in the incident, which led police officers to locate the driver a short time after the crash. Hoopii was then arrested. He faces charges of negligent injury in the first degree, accidents involving death or serious injury, reckless driving, and inattention to driving.
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Wyatt Haupt Jr., editor, can be reached at 808-245-0457 or whaupt@thegardenisland.com.
