Man pleads no contest
to causing crash deaths

An Mililani man who was driving a car that crashed near Waialua in 2001 pleaded no contest yesterday to causing the death of three classmates in the accident.

Brian Dade, 21, pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree negligent homicide and two counts of first-degree negligent injury stemming from the April 12, 2001, crash on Kaukonahua Road.

Dade, who was 18 at the time, was drinking prior to the crash, but the level of alcohol in his system did not exceed the legal limit, said deputy prosecutor Peter Marrack.

Police say Dade apparently was speeding and passed other cars on the winding road before he lost control, crossed the center line, struck a guardrail and was broadsided by a car going in the opposite direction. A Mililani couple in the other car was injured. Their 11-year-old daughter escaped injury.

The passengers in Dade's car who were killed were Mililani High School seniors Anthony Alexander, 17, Andrew Delos Reyes, 18, and Jeremy Tolentino, 17. They were apparently headed to Mokuleia.

Deputy public defender Ken Shimozono said Dade is taking responsibility for his actions by changing his plea. At sentencing he will ask that Dade be placed on probation for the negligent homicide counts. He will also ask that Dade's pleas in the negligent injury counts be deferred, giving him an opportunity to wipe those convictions off his record.

Shimozono said Dade has no prior juvenile record, is now working full time and has remained out of trouble since the accident.

The families of the three boys who died sued Dade and Foodland, where alcohol was purchased by another 18-year-old and later furnished to Dade. Those civil suits have been settled, Shimozono said.

Dade remains free on bail and will be sentenced Oct. 29. Marrack said he will be asking for prison time. Dade faces five-year prison terms on each count.