Ex-tour bus driver gets manslaughter charge
The suspect had hit another vehicle prior to the fatal accident with a Kahaluu man
A former Roberts Hawaii driver has been indicted in connection with a fatal crash in Kahaluu last year that killed the driver of a sport utility vehicle.
Steven Oshiro, 49, of Waipio was charged yesterday with manslaughter for allegedly causing the death of Corey Voss of Kahaluu on June 12, 2006. Bail has been set at $100,000.
Oshiro was on duty, driving an empty bus to Honolulu from the Polynesian Cultural Center when he crossed the center line on Kamehameha Highway and struck Voss' SUV head-on near Makaipooa Road, prosecutors said.
Voss, 41, a food and beverage director at Oahu Country Club for eight years, was headed home after surfing and was a half-mile from his home. He died of brain trauma sustained in the crash.
After hitting Voss' SUV, the bus crashed through a chain-link fence, went over a knee-high rock wall and smashed into a three-bedroom house. No one else was injured.
Oshiro was arrested at the scene for suspicion of third- degree negligent homicide. He refused to submit to a Breathalyzer test.
Oshiro had collided with a city bus earlier that day and his driving that afternoon was erratic, said Deputy Prosecutor Vickie Kapp, who asked the court to set bail at $100,000.
"The suspect should have known he was unable to operate a vehicle safely," she said. "We should also note that as a professional driver of an extremely heavy and dangerous vehicle on a two-lane highway, the suspect should be held to a much higher standard of care."
Jay Voss, Corey Voss' younger brother, said he is confident Oshiro will go through the system and be held accountable for his actions. "But it's not going to bring Corey back at all."
Corey Voss left behind a wife, who has since given birth to the couple's first daughter.
Oshiro was cited in 2001 for failing to stop for a pedestrian and making an illegal right turn at a red light. This was his first arrest. He could not be reached for comment.
A request for comment from Roberts Hawaii officials was not returned. Shortly after the incident, Robert Moore, then-chief executive officer of Roberts Hawaii, said the company had placed the driver involved in the crash on administrative leave pending an investigation.
If convicted of manslaughter, Oshiro faces 20 years imprisonment.