Suspect in fatal The man who turned himself in to police in connection with a fatal hit-and-run accident in Kalihi last month was driving with a suspended license and has had his driver's license revoked or suspended seven times since 1997. Three of those instances were for drunk driving.
hit-run has lengthy
traffic record
A Kalihi man arrested in a
hit-and-run has had his license
suspended and revoked 7 timesBy Nelson Daranciang
Star-BulletinTiuli Faatoia, 39, of Kalihi is in jail after he was arrested Thursday and faces charges of negligent homicide, failing to render aid, and driving without a driver's license in connection with last month's hit-and-run accident that killed Daniel Agcaoili, also of Kalihi.
Agcaoili, 33, died May 28 at Queen's Medical Center from injuries he received four days before. Police said Agcaoili was riding his moped mauka on Kamehameha IV Road about 11 p.m. on May 24 near the intersection with Keha Place when a vehicle struck him from behind.
According to court records, Faatoia's background includes convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol, driving without no-fault insurance, and driving without a valid driver's license. His most recent license suspension was for five years for an April 1999 DUI conviction.
"Very sad to hear about this case and it's something that I suspected, unfortunately, but glad that he has come forward," said Theresa Paulette, former president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving Hawaii.
She said this case points to a need for better monitoring of and tougher penalties against repeat offenders and high-risk drivers.
"We are aware that repeat offenders and high-risk drivers have a dramatically higher chance of being involved in a fatal crash," she said.
A state law that went into effect last September requires police to seize the vehicle license plates and registration of a anyone arrested for DUI if he or she is determined to be a repeat offender.
"For an individual like this we have to look at stronger measures like removing his car," said Paulette.
There were outstanding bench warrants for Faatoia's arrest when he turned himself in at the Honolulu Police Kalihi Substation Thursday. The warrants were for failure to return to court to show proof he completed his sentences for three separate traffic convictions. Faatoia, who lives in Kuhio Park Terrace, was to appear in court this morning on one of the bench warrants.
His traffic record begins with a 1997 conviction for a DUI arrest in 1996 for which he paid $257 in fines, had his license suspended for 90 days, and was ordered to take a 14-hour drivers' education class. A bench warrant was issued because he failed to appear at a scheduled court date to show whether or not he completed the class.
In 1997, Faatoia was arrested and later convicted in another DUI, driving without a valid driver's license and four separate cases of driving without no-fault insurance. He had his license suspended for three months in each of the no-fault convictions, ordered to perform 75 hours of community service in three of them and had his license revoked for three months for driving without a license.
Faatoia was ordered to pay a $107 fine, perform 30 hours of community service and complete another 14-hour drunk driving class for the DUI. A judge issued a bench warrant when he failed to appear in court to show whether he completed the community service and class.
Faatoia had just one traffic arrest in 1998, that for driving without no-fault insurance. He was convicted and ordered to pay a $50 fine, perform 200 hours of community service and had his license suspended for a year. He was scheduled to appear in court this morning for failing to return to court to show whether he completed the community service.
Faatoia was convicted of three more traffic offenses committed in 1999. One was for DUI, and the other two were for driving without a license.
The DUI conviction netted him the 5-year license suspension, 10 days in jail, 100 hours of community service and $632 in fines.
He spent nine days in prison for one of the driving-without-a-license convictions, and ordered to perform 45 hours of community service and pay $275 in fines for the other.
His latest convictions were for an arrest last October for again driving without a license and no-fault insurance.
He was ordered to pay fines of $600 and perform 87.5 hours community service. He has yet to show proof he completed the sentence.