Lāwa‘i man sentenced to 10 years for fatal 2020 Christmas Eve crash

A Lāwa‘i man was sentenced to 10 years of incarceration for causing the deaths of Eugenia Villanueva and Delfin Geronimo following a crash on Christmas Eve in 2020.

The sentence comes after Sandon Igne, 33, entered a no-contest plea in November 2022 on two counts of first-degree negligent homicide, two counts of second-degree negligent injury and inattention to driving. The 10-year sentences handed to Igne are to run concurrently. He is also ordered to pay a maximum fine of $25,000.

He also was sentenced to a lifetime driver’s license revocation. Multiple family members of the crash victims spoke at the sentencing hearing.

“This case is one of the most tragic cases I have seen in my career,” said Kaua‘i County prosecuting attorney Rebecca Like. “The loss of and injury to multiple family members on Christmas Eve is horrific. We cannot bring back the lives of Eugenia Villanueva and Delfin Geronimo, but we hope that this sentencing allows the family to start to heal.”

The crash occurred at approximately 4 p.m. on Dec. 24, 2020. After consuming multiple alcoholic beverages at Rob’s Good Times Grill in Līhu‘e, Igne headed westbound on Kaumuali‘i Highway. Near Knudsen Gap, he drove off the right side of the roadway, then veered back across the roadway, crossing the westbound lane and the double solid yellow line before crashing into a vehicle traveling eastbound.

His driving resulted in the death of Villanueva and Geronimo and caused substantial bodily injury to two other occupants of the vehicle. More than two hours after the crash, Igne’s blood alcohol content was 0.133 gms/100 cc of whole blood.

“A lot of people call these types of incidents ‘accidents.’ We go to great length to not call them accidents, because incidents like this involve people making choices,” said deputy prosecuting attorney Henry Ramsey Ross. “Sandon Igne’s conduct that day was wholly unacceptable and posed a significant danger to other motorists and the Kaua‘i community. The community, especially the victims involved, and their families are forever damaged as a result of Sandon Igne’s reprehensible conduct that day.”