Traffic Safety Vigil to be Held in Kona Oct. 29

Hawai‘i Island police, in partnership with multiple agencies and community organizations, will host the “Healing Our Highways” Traffic Safety Vigil and Remembrance Event to honor those who have lost their lives in traffic crashes and to promote safe, responsible driving as the holiday season approaches.

The event will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, from 7 to 11 a.m., featuring three simultaneous sign-waving campaigns along Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway from 8 to 9 a.m. at the following locations:

• Site #1: Waikoloa Rd / Blue Hawaiian Helicopter area
• Site #2: Kīholo Bay Scenic Point Lookout
• Site #3: Hualālai / Four Seasons employee parking area (Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway at the 86-mile maker will be the primary meeting location.)

Interim Police Chief Reed Mahuna and representatives from the Hawai‘i chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) will be speaking at a ceremony from 10 to 11 a.m. at the West Hawai‘i Civic Center in Kailua-Kona.

So far this year, 19 people have died on Hawai‘i Island roads. “The pain of losing a loved one in a traffic crash never truly fades,” said Interim Police Chief Reed Mahuna. “Every number in our traffic fatality reports represents a person, a father, mother, son, or daughter whose absence leaves an immeasurable void. This event is a call to our entire community to drive with aloha, responsibility, and awareness so that more families do not have to endure such devastating loss.”

The “Healing Our Highways” event aims to unite the community in remembrance while raising awareness about the lasting consequences of dangerous driving behaviors such as speeding, impairment, and distracted driving.

“This vigil was planned weeks before yesterday’s tragic car crash on Daniel K. Inouye Highway,” said Torey D. Keltner, program manager for the department’s Traffic Services Section. “With the approaching holidays we urge motorists to drive sober and safe.”

Hawai‘i Police Department reminds all motorists that traffic safety is a shared kuleana. By making safe choices behind the wheel, we can help prevent future tragedies and honor the memory of those lost on our island’s roadways.