Hilario to stand trial on Monday for hit-and-run crash that killed Kauaʻi lifeguard

The driver accused of hitting a Kauaʻi ocean safety lifeguard who was skateboarding along a road in Liʻhūe on Feb. 12 — and not stopping to render aid — will stand trial on Monday in Kauaʻi’s Fifth Circuit Court.

Salvin Hilario, 54, is facing several charges for the hit-and-run that led to the death of 30-year-old Kailon Tyndzik from Wailua.

Hilario’s court records reveal an extensive criminal traffic record dating to 1993 and encompassing approximately 33 arrests, ranging from traffic infractions to serious traffic offenses.

Hilario, who police said had no permanent address at the time of his arrest, will be represented by court-appointed attorney Melinda Mendes.

Law enforcement reported that at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 12, officers responded to a traffic accident on Nāwiliwili Road near Nokekula Street. Tyndzik was traveling in the southbound lane on his skateboard when he was struck by a vehicle.

Hilario, the alleged driver of the vehicle, did not stop after the collision, according to the police.

Tyndizik was transported to the Wilcox Medical Center in Līhue, and later airlifted to the Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu, where he remained in critical condition.

On Feb. 14, Kauaʻi police discovered an unattended vehicle believed to be the vehicle that struck Tyndzik. Hours later, at 8:30 p.m., officers located and arrested Hilario for contempt of court.

He was charged with first-degree negligent injury, leaving the scene of a collision with serious bodily injury, driving without a valid driverʻs license, reckless driving and inattention to driving.

He was detained at the Kauaʻi Police Department cell block and transferred to the Sheriffs Division of the Hawaiʻi Department of Law Enforcement. His bail was set at $250, and he was later released.

On Feb. 20, after being on a respirator in a medically induced coma, the Tyndizik family announced via their GoFundMe page that the swelling in Tyndizikʻs brain had not subsided and, after several medical attempts, the Kauaʻi waterman had succumbed to his injuries, surrounded by his friends and family.

Family and friends honored the former lifeguard in March with a paddle-out on both Kauaʻi and Oʻahu.

Following Tyndizik death, Hilarioʻs charges were elevated .

On May 5, Hilario pleaded not guilty to charges that included negligent homicide in the second degree and involvement in a collision that resulted in death or serious bodily injury.

His bail was set at $250,000. He remains in custody.