Man pleads not guilty
in fatal 2001 crashNicholas Tudisco allegedly told police
he was racing at the time of the accident
A former Hawaii Kai man pleaded not guilty yesterday to recklessly causing the death of a popular Holy Trinity School teacher nearly 2 1/2 years ago.
Nicholas Tudisco returned to Hawaii from the West Coast and turned himself in Monday to face a charge of manslaughter in the death of Elizabeth Kekoa, 58, of Hawaii Kai.
Prosecutors say Tudisco, then 18, was driving in excess of 100 mph and slammed into a van carrying Kekoa, her husband and her mother. Her husband and mother were also injured but survived.
Tudisco, who turns 21 next month and is currently attending and playing baseball at California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, allegedly admitted to police that he was racing at the time of the Aug. 26, 2001, crash, prosecutors said.
Tudisco declined comment on the charge, but his attorney Michael Green said he does not believe his client was the cause of the crash that resulted in Kekoa's death.
"I am not convinced his vehicle was the vehicle that actually caused the death," Green said.
Witnesses had reported that at the time it appeared that Tudisco's Honda Prelude and another car were racing just before the fatal crash.
Green said he needs to see the police reports and speak to collision experts to make that determination. "If he did (cause Kekoa's death), we'll deal with that."
And whether or not Tudisco is found at fault, Kekoa is gone, Green said. "It's a tragedy, and it's also a tragedy for an 18-year-old kid."
Green said the last 2 1/2 years have been difficult for Tudisco knowing he was eventually going to be charged, but he did not expect the charge to be that severe. The manslaughter charge is punishable by a 20-year term.
Deputy Prosecutor Kevin Takata, who will be prosecuting the case, declined comment on Green's statements.
Earlier, city Prosecutor Peter Carlisle had said that his office looked at the totality of the circumstances "and the fact that this was such a gross level of speeding" in deciding to present the manslaughter charge to a grand jury.