Whatever
Happened...
Question: What ever happened to the case in which a University of Hawaii swimmer riding a bicycle was fatally struck by an allegedly drunken driver on March 16, 2001? Police still investigating
traffic death of UH swimmerBy Leila Fujimori
lfujimori@starbulletin.comAnswer: Police are continuing their investigation and looking into possible charges against the driver of the Honda Accord that struck and killed 19-year-old Tammy Tye while she was riding her bicycle in a crosswalk on South Beretania Street shortly after 8 p.m.
Jeffrey P. Yoon of Honolulu submitted to a field sobriety test shortly after the accident and was arrested.
STAR-BULLETIN FILE
University of Hawaii swimmer Tammy Tye, 19, was killed a year ago while riding her bike.
At 9:28 p.m., Yoon took an Intoxilyzer and blood test and blew a zero, indicating no alcohol in his blood.
"The proof of the pudding is the breathalyzer. He got a 0.0 on the breathalyzer," said Wayne Sakai, Yoon's attorney.
Tye's family sued Yoon on May 17 for negligence and alleged he was drunk at the time of the accident.
"It (the breathalyzer test) couldn't have possibly been a zero," said Rick Fried, an attorney for the Tye family. "Somebody dropped the ball."
Fried argues that police found Yoon had a noticeable odor of alcohol, his eyes were red, watery, bloodshot and glassy, and he could not count backward from 20.
Sakai countered by saying that his client was shaken and upset, which would produce those results.
"He may have had a beer that afternoon, but that doesn't mean he was drunk," Sakai said.
Fried said he has been in constant contact with Tye's family in England, and "they feel horrible."
"They want to know what the police are doing," he said. "They're concerned that the police haven't charged this guy yet.
"It's been long enough."
Tye, an up-and-coming member of the UH swim team, was inspired to come to Hawaii by another UH swimmer who was from her hometown, according to assistant coach Andy Dei- chert.
Interim coach Bruce Kennard said Tye was not only a valuable athlete, but provided an uplifting spirit to the team.
Richard Tye said it was his daughter's dream to come to Hawaii to "swim fast, study hard and to experience life in paradise."
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