HONOLULU — A Hawaii judge sentenced a man to 30 years in prison for manslaughter and assault after his speeding pickup truck killed three people waiting to cross a street and injured four others.
Police say Alins Sumang, 29, was drunk and behind the wheel in 2019 when he struck a pedestrian island on Ala Moana Boulevard. Investigators found a half-empty bottle of liquor in his vehicle.
Sumang pleaded guilty in March. Travis Lau of Honolulu, Casimir Pokorny of Pennsylvania and Reino Ikeda of Japan are the three who lost their lives.
Prosecutors say Sumang may be eligible parole in less than seven years, but they will be asking the parole board to require that he serve the whole 30-year sentence, KHON reported.
Sumang read a letter of apology in court Thursday.
“I know I don’t deserve to ask for this, but please forgive me for my actions that day. And if it’s not possible, just know that I’m truly sorry for every minute of that day. Not a day goes by that I wish I could trade places with them and turn back the hands of time,” Sumang said.
Some of the victims’ families were disappointed in the sentence.
“I believe he’s not even going to stay the full 30 years. So he’s gonna get out, still young, still able, still capable of doing whatever he wants,” said Melissa Lau, Travis Lau’s widow.
After the sentencing hearing, Melissa Lau said the apology fell short.
“Am I ever going to forgive him? Never. Am I ever going to feel bad for him? Never.”
Under the plea agreement, Sumang will serve three concurrent 20-year sentences for manslaughter for the deaths, and four concurrent five-year terms for assault, Hawaii News Now reported. The manslaughter and assault terms will be served consecutively, for a total of 25 years. Another five years was added for Sumang’s violation of probation from a 2016 case.
“I think what was upsetting also to hear was that parole could be a possibility in six years and eight months, even though we don’t think that’s likely. But that’s like, whoa, that’s like a slap in the face, I think,” said Theresa Paulette, the victim services specialist with Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
