KAILUA-KONA — Two teenage girls seriously injured in Sunday afternoon’s crash that claimed the life of a mother of four continue to recuperate at an Oahu hospital.
Kawena Haserot and Taylor Campogan, a pair of friends both age 15, remained hospitalized in serious, but stable, condition at The Queen’s Medical Center on Oahu as of Tuesday evening. The two Kealakehe High School sophomores are being cared for on the same floor, but in separate rooms.
“They were really close,” said Laurel Haserot, who has been at her daughter, Kawena’s side at the Honolulu facility since the teens were flown there in critical condition Sunday following the crash that also injured Campogan’s 10-year-old sister and killed Campogan’s mother, Cassandra “Cassie” Lynn Ellis.
Laurel Haserot said Tuesday that her daughter — a star swimmer with Kona Aquatics who excels in the breaststroke at states each year and has a dream to work in the medical field some day — suffered a fractured femur and fractures to her pelvis in the wreck. The teen underwent surgery on Monday and was recovering Tuesday.
“Today, she’s in a lot of pain,” she said. “She’s sleeping, and resting and just healing.”
The mother said her daughter is starting to understand things better, and has been informed that Ellis died in the crash.
“She knows that her friend’s mom passed away, but she doesn’t know the details of the accident,” Laurel Haserot said.
Injuries suffered by Campogan have not been released. Campogan’s 10-year-old sister was also injured, but was released after treatment at Kona Community Hospital.
On Tuesday, John Lim Jr., Ellis’s significant other and the father of her youngest daughter, 2-year-old Lucy, said Campogan was recovering, but did not elaborate.
In addition to Ellis’s four daughters, including two injured in Sunday’s crash, Ellis was also a hanai mother to Lim’s son.
“Cassie was one of the best mother’s I’ve ever known,” he said. “I don’t know how these kids are going to get a mother remotely close to what she was.”
He said his daughter continues to ask for her mother.
“I don’t think she will understand that,” he said about telling the toddler about her mother’s passing. “I can’t bring mom here. I can show her a picture, a video, but I can’t physically …”
The crash was reported at 2:10 p.m. Sunday near mile marker 90 on Queen Kaahumanu Highway, north of the entrance to Ke Kahakai State Park. According to police, Ellis was operating a northbound gray 2015 Honda Pilot SUV when the vehicle collided head-on with a black 2017 Jeep Renegade SUV that was headed southbound on the highway.
Police say the Jeep, driven by 25-year-old Nicholas Abarcar, of Waimea, was passing another southbound vehicle in a 55 mph passing zone when he collided with 35-year-old Ellis’s SUV, which was carrying the three girls on their way to Kua Bay.
Abarcar was also injured in the crash and treated at Kona Community Hospital, according to police. He was later arrested on suspicion of first-degree negligent homicide, DUI, reckless driving and three counts first-degree negligent injury in connection with the Sunday afternoon crash. Police said in a press release speed and drugs may have played a role.
After conferring with prosecutors, who declined to immediately press charges, Abarcar was released without charges pending further investigation.
Concerns and questions over the release Abarcar flooded social media and conversations in the community after that detail came to light. West Hawaii Today first reported the suspect had been convicted of DUI in 2018.
Laurel Haserot, the mother of one of the teen’s hospitalized on Oahu, said her sons, ages 23 and 14, are very upset with Abarcar’s release, and his history.
“They’re taking it hard. They are really sad to see their sister hurting,” she said. “And, they’re really angry at this guy who apparently it is not his first time doing this, driving under the influence.”
Area II Assistant Chief Robert Wagner said prosecutors, who must consent to the filing of felony charges, requested more investigation in the case. Among that were mechanical inspections of the vehicle and accident reconstruction, as well as tracking down possible witnesses to the crash and obtaining medical records for the injured.
Per state law, police have 48 hours from the time of arrest to file charges against a suspect, or that person must be released pending investigation.
Anyone who may have witnessed the crash should contact Officer Kelsey Kobayashi at 326-4646, ext. 229, or 339-5651. Those who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo.
Prosecuting Attorney Mitch Roth said his deputies needed more information, such as the return on blood tests, to ensure prosecutors file the appropriate charges.
In the present case, negligent homicide has three degrees ranging from a misdemeanor for third-degree negligent homicide to a Class B felony for first-degree negligent homicide. A misdemeanor carries up to a year in jail while a Class B felony is punishable by up to 10 years behind bars.
“Before we charge these cases, we need to know what evidence we have,” he said. “We don’t want to charge a misdemeanor when someone may be liable for a Class B felony.”
Charges, if brought, will come via indictment by a grand jury.
Further, Hawaii law protects the individual’s right to a speedy trial, meaning that once charges are filed, the clock is started for prosecutors to bring the defendant to trial within six months, or 180 days, unless the defendant waives that right. If not, a court can dismiss the charges.
While Roth stated he likes to file quickly charges in cases, the U.S. Constitution has a “double jeopardy” clause that bars criminal defendants from being prosecuted twice for the same offense.
“We have one shot,” said Roth.
Meanwhile Tuesday, GoFundMe accounts continued to raise funds for the girls, as well as for medical and funeral expenses for Ellis. By 5 p.m., nearly $25,000 had been raised between the three crowdsourcing campaigns.
Laurel Haserot, the mother of one of the injured teens, wished to thank the community for their actions immediately following the crash through today. That includes everyone — from the “aunties and uncles” who stopped to assist as the vehicle was smoking and the police and fire rescue personnel who provided care to the visitors coming to see her daughter at the hospital.
“I just thank everybody who was there on the scene helping. I thank everybody in our community,” she said. “Just the love and support that we feel from even strangers, I didn’t even know that was there for us.”
Kealakehe High School also had counselors available to students returning from the Veterans Day holiday weekend, staff said Tuesday afternoon.
West Hawaii Today was unable to reach Danny Campogan, the father of Ellis’s three older daughters, as of press time.
