Wayne Braden said the death of his 17-month-old daughter, Aliyah, killed by an allegedly drunken driver nearly nine months ago on the Big Island, has been devastating.

“;It's unbelievable,”; said the 57-year-old Captain Cook man. “;The grief is physically gripping. It incapacitates you.”; His wife, Mayvelyn, 25, suffered a fractured pelvis among other injuries and is crippled for life, he said. She went from being a department manager at Walmart to a greeter, and walks with a cane.

On Monday a grand jury indicted the driver, Valereen Kaleohano-Knittle, on charges of manslaughter, second-degree assault, reckless driving, consuming or possessing intoxicating liquor while operating a motor vehicle, operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant, first-degree negligent homicide, first-degree negligent injury and inattention to driving.

Kaleohano-Knittle's blood alcohol level was 0.235, nearly three times the legal limit, during the May 23 accident in Kailua-Kona, according to Stuart Cowan, the Bradens' attorney in a lawsuit filed against the driver and the bar that served her: Kona Bowl and Frame.

Mayvelyn and Aliyah were on their way to the Kona Fun Factory when Kaleohano-Knittle allegedly ran a red light on Kuakini Highway and crashed into them.

Her bail was set at $300,000, with the following conditions: no drugs or alcohol, random testing, a ban from bars, no driving without a valid license, and no direct or indirect contact with the Bradens.

Braden said their only daughter was “;just going from baby to a small child, and she was real smart and real loving and liked to be involved with people.”;

He supports Senate Bill 2345, which would stiffen penalties for drunken drivers.

“;It's horrid that these little children, aunties and tutus have to be at the mercy of this small percentage”; of drivers—one-half of 1 percent—who are responsible for 40 percent of yearly highway fatalities due to drunken driving, Braden said.