Keola DeCosta arrested following traffic crash; man killed, woman hospitalized

Kaua‘i police arrested Keola DeCosta, a 42-year-old man from Lāwa‘i, on Jan. 19 in connection with a two-vehicle crash that occurred on Po‘ipū Road which resulted in the death of a 69-year-old Kalāheo man. 

According to a preliminary investigation, at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Friday, a 2023 Toyota Tacoma was traveling westbound on Po‘ipū Road fronting Kiahuna Shopping Center when the vehicle rear ended a 2014 Hyundai Accent, causing both vehicles to leave the roadway. Medics and police arrived at the scene to find that both vehicles were located in the bushes off the westbound shoulder.

The driver of the Tacoma, DeCosta, was uninjured in the collision. The driver of the Hyundai, a 69-year-old man from Kalāheo, suffered fatal injuries. The passenger of the Hyundai, a 25-year-old woman from Kalāheo, suffered serious injuries and has been medevaced to Queen’s Medical Center on O‘ahu and is in stable condition.

DeCosta was arrested for Negligent Homicide in the First Degree, Negligent Injury in the First Degree, Operating a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence of an Intoxicant, Resisting Arrest, Accidents Involving Death, Reckless Driving and Inattention to Driving. He was released pending further investigation.

Reams of court records show Keola DeCosta has been charged with a slew of traffic crimes and infractions since the year 2000. These past charges include driving without a valid license; driving without a current safety check; driving with obscured or absent license plates; driving without motor vehicle insurance; breaking the speed limit; driving without a seatbelt; and more.

Po‘ipū Road was closed in both directions for approximately three hours while the Kaua‘i Police Department’s Traffic Safety Section conducted an on-scene investigation. Speed and alcohol appear to be factors in the crash.

This is Kaua‘i’s first traffic fatality of 2024 and remains under investigation.

Anyone who may have witnessed the crash is urged to call Officer Henshaw at 808-241-1616. Those wishing to remain anonymous can provide information by calling Crime Stoppers Kauaʻi at 808-246-8300, submitting a tip at cskauai.org, or through the Crime Stoppers Kauaʻi P3 Tips Mobile App.